


Go Boldly

by PrincessStark



Series: To Boldly Go [3]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: 30 Day OTP Challenge, Genderswap, M/M, mckirk - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-28
Updated: 2013-06-26
Packaged: 2017-12-13 06:23:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 43,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/821060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessStark/pseuds/PrincessStark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to Together, set to the 30-Day OTP Challenge. McKirk slash. Don't like. Don't read. Don't hate. Read & Review!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I Wanna Hold Your Hand

**Author's Note:**

> DAY 1 - Holding Hands - Day one of the 30-Day OTP Challenge finds Kirk and Bones holding hands in the corridors of the Enterprise.  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> Day descriptions will be added in the summaries for each of the following chapters.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Bones asked when he saw Kirk come out of the bedroom of his quarters. Since they had gotten back from the Enterprise D, Bones had been sleeping in Kirk's quarters. It wasn't as though they had to hide their relationship anymore, so Bones freely came and left Kirk's quarters. They had only been back a little less than forty-eight hours, but Kirk was ready to get back to work.

"I need to be on the bridge."

Bones stood off the couch, leaving the portable computer panel on the couch, and walked over to him. "You're not reporting to duty, Jim. Doctor's orders."

Kirk pulled his head back, shaking it slightly, his face scrunching up in slight confusion. "Are you really going to keep me from doing my job."

Bones nodded. "Until I clear you for duty, yes."

"And what if I refuse to follow doctor's orders?"

Bones smirked at him. "Sedate you and throw your ass back in that bed."

Kirk returned his smirk. "If you wanted to get Kinky, all you had to do was say so."

Bones usual stoic visage returned to his face. "I'm serious, Jim."

"Ok, ok. I'll submit to my doctor's orders. But can I at least get out of here? Walk around? I'm going crazy being cooped up in here."

Bones nodded his head. "Would you like to go get something to eat in the dining room?"

Kirk nodded. "You going to join me?"

They hadn't been seen together since Bones had instructed the medical team to take the captain to his quarters so he could relax better. By that time, news that something was going on between the two of them had pretty much gotten around the entire ship. There was barely over 400 people on the ship. News can move fast with just a few hundred people gossiping.

Kirk didn't mind though. He liked knowing that everyone on the ship was talking about him and Bones. Bones, on the other hand, was still a little nervous about the whole thing. Homosexuality wasn't widely accepted in Starfleet. It was still basically a "don't ask, don't tell" subject, but at least you weren't punished if you decided to be open about your sexuality.

Inhaling deeply, Bones nodded his head. Kirk smiled, turning to the door to walk out with him. Kirk was ready to face his crew head on. If they had problems with his decision, they could bring it up with him, or keep it to themselves. Either he was fine with. He would defend his relationship with Bones to the end. No one had ever meant as much to him as Bones did, and he wasn't going to let what people thought about them get in the way now.

He met with his crew's glances and long, drawn-out looks with a smile and pride. Before, everyone thought that he didn't care who he slept with, that any woman on this ship could have a piece of him if they wanted. He wasn't one to discriminate, and that was because he didn't care. If he wasn't going to be open about his relationship with Bones, then it didn't matter who he was with, as it hadn't mattered before he met Bones. No one was special, so he didn't care who he slept with.

But that would change now. James T. Kirk was now off the market, much to the dismay of the female population on the ship. And now that everyone knew Kirk was with a man, at least half the men were disappointed they weren't that man. The thought of that was enough to boost Kirk's ego (like he really needed to be more cocky in the first place).

The couple exited the captain's quarters and headed down the corridor. The turbolift was just around the corner, but they passed several people on the way. Kirk nodded to each of them. Bones knew he was eating up this new form of attention he was getting. The looks they were giving him weren't because they wanted him now or they envied him now but something different. They were intrigued by him on a whole new level. Bones just wanted to crawl in a hole and hide.

He wasn't ashamed of their relationship, not in any way, but he didn't like all the attention. He wasn't out to get everyone's stamp of approval. He just wanted to silently enjoy his time with Jim, like he had before everyone found out about the two of them. But the cat was out of the bag now, so to speak.

Kirk looked over at Bones and could sense his uncomfortability. Smiling, he let his hand slide down Bones' forearm, sliding his hand into Bones', lacing their fingers together. Bones looked down at their hands and back up at Jim. Kirk smiled, turning around the corner and coming up to the turbolift. The doors opened and they stepped in together. The doors closed behind them.

"Deck 2," Kirk instructed.

The turbolift whirred to life and Bones looked down at their hands before looking back at Jim. "Are you trying to make a point?"

Kirk took a step closer to Bones, pulling his hand up to press it against his own chest. "Yes, I am, Bones. Do you have a problem with it?"

Bones inhaled deeply, shaking his head. "This is just going to take some getting used to."

Kirk pulled Bones' hand up to his lips, kissing it softly. "Just relax, Baby. It'll come to you."

Kirk was glad he didn't have to hide his relationship with Bones from anyone anymore. He knew the news would get back to the Federation soon enough, and when that time came, he hoped Bones would be as comfortable with it as he was so they could stand in front of them, secure enough in their relationship not to be ashamed of it. They could only hope that would show the Federation that they could continue to do their duties despite their relationship. There was no reason why a man couldn't be with another man just like a man can be with a woman. There should be no difference.

The turbolift doors opened onto Deck 2. Kirk smiled at Bones and turned to exit the lift, still holding his hand. Kirk continued to smile at the crew members they passed. Bones did his best to be calm about their looks. He loved being able to be out in the open with Jim, but it would still take him awhile to be completely comfortable. They walked into the dining room and sat at a table, waiting for the chef to come get their orders. It may take time, but Kirk would help Bones get used to being out in the open. He would help him every step of the way.


	2. Holding You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DAY 2 - Cuddling Somewhere - On ay two of the 30-Day OTP Challenge, Kirk finds Bones in his quarters asleep and curls up with him.  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bones had been staying in Kirk's quarters since they had gotten back from the Enterprise D a few weeks ago, but when his shift ended tonight, all he wanted was to hide. Jim was doing everything he could to help Bones feel comfortable with their relationship being out in the open like it was now, but the way everyone on the ship was still looking at them after two weeks was starting to weigh on him.

So he took solace in his own quarters. He just needed some time to be alone to think. He couldn't dwell on things while he was at work. He needed to keep his head focused. He realized that before the incident with the Enterprise D, he would have gotten lost in thinking about Jim and he was able to shrug it off if people asked him if he was alright, his guilty little secret, but he was doing everything now _not_ to think about Jim.

The way people looked at them now... It wasn't as though they didn't agree with what they were doing, or that it was _morally wrong_ , but it was just the fact that they looked at them differently at all. Then again, he remembered when people found out Mr. Spock and Lt. Uhura were a couple. Everyone started looking at that pointy-eared bastard in a way they'd never looked at a Vulcan before. But why? Wasn't his mother human? It seemed to Bones that people forgot that Spock was half human.

Why people looked at others differently for any reason was beyond Bones. Who they were didn't change just because they were with someone else, Bones would still be Bones without Jim. Taking a mental step back, Bones realized that wasn't true at all. It was Jim who had called Leonard "Bones" to begin with. He had been more than serious when he had told Jim that he wouldn't even be left with his bones if Jim died. He wouldn't be anything if he lost Jim.

Laying back against the couch, he let his head lay on the armrest. He was doing his best to be comfortable with this, for Jim's sake, but it wasn't that easy. Things were so much easier back when no one knew about them and they had to sneak around. They couldn't even sneak around now if they tried. Eyes were everywhere. He even felt like eyes were watching them when he was with Jim in his quarters. Why couldn't things just be normal?

"On this ship, nothings normal."

He closed his eyes and laid there in the dark. The only light came from the gentle glow of the computer monitors and the passing stars outside his bay windows. He hoped that he could at least rest through the night and not be reminded that things weren't the way he felt comfortable with. He just wanted to close his eyes and cease to exist, even if just for 7 hours, eight if he was lucky.

/\ /\ /\

Kirk was looking forward to spending a little downtime with Bones. He was tired and all he wanted to do was lay on his bed in Bones' arms. He loved being able to go back to his quarters and find Bones there waiting for him. He never thought he'd have that with anyone. He had wished to have it with Bones, but he was sure it would never happen. Now that it has, it was a dream come true, but it still seemed a bit surreal to him.

Everyone had been exceptionally understanding and accepting of it. Even Spock said he … wished both of them a long and harmonious partnership. On the surface, the words seemed cold and almost flippant, but James Kirk knew his first officer better than that. He knew Spock's sentiment had been sincere and probably as meaningful as anyone's best wishes for the two of them. It was probably even more, considering Spock and emotion were less than rarely synonymous with each other.

The door to the left of the bridge whooshed open and Kirk turned to see Spock entering the bridge. Standing up off the captain's seat, he stepped down to Spock.

"Spock! I'm glad you're here!" He patted his friend on the shoulder, giving him a warm smile. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Kirk left Spock wondering if he had missed something in the exchange of that conversation. But Spock had not been able to say anything. Kirk had come up, opened and closed a conversation with him, and basically left him hanging. It was one sided exchanges like this that confused Mr. Spock, and Kirk knew this. He loved confusing the pointy-eared first officer every chance he got.

Entering his quarters, he came into darkness. Bones must be asleep, he thought to himself. Leaving the lights off in the living area, he headed toward the bedroom. He slid his fingers across the panel on the side of the door, turning the lights up only a little. The room was empty, the bed still neatly made (by Bones) early this morning.

"Bones?" There was no answer. He walked over to the comm panel beside his bed. Pressing the button, he directed, "Computer, locate Dr. McCoy."

" _Dr. Mcoy is in his quarters."_

Kirk's face twisted slightly, shaking his head and leaving his room. Why was Bones in his quarters? Kirk didn't even realize he _had_ quarters any more. He just assumed he had moved in to his. Sure, they hadn't made any official log of it, so he realized he didn't know why he had assumed that in the first place. Bones had every right to be in his own quarters. The question swimming in Kirk's head was WHY?

The turbolift ride from the fifth floor up to ninth was tedious. Sure, the turbolift didn't take that long to travel from deck to deck, but Kirk was anxious. He wondered what had gone wrong. He wondered if Bones was mad at him. Kirk tried to think about what he could have possibly done to piss him off. He could be a real dick at times, but for some reason, even as annoyed as Bones got, he was able to tolerate him more than anyone else, even Spock, and that was saying something. Still, Kirk had to wonder.

Coming up to the door, he took a deep breath and pressed the panel beside the door. The bell chirped, but there was no answer. Pressing the panel again, he got the same response, silence. Pressing the computer panel beside the door panel, Kirk started to worry.

"Computer, where is Dr. McCoy?"

" _Dr. McCoy is in his quarters."_

"Computer, open Dr. McCoy's door. Authorization: Kirk Beta Zulu."

The door whooshed open and Kirk's heart immediately settled back into place. Bones was there, laying on the couch. Fast asleep. Smiling, Kirk walked into the room and the door whooshed shut behind him. Bones had his back toward him, curled up into the couch. Kicking off his shoes, Kirk pulled his overshirt up over his head, tossing it aside, leaving him in his pants and an undershirt. He laid down on the couch behind Bones, pulling him gently into his arms.

Bones stirred, but only slightly. "Mmmm, Jim."

Kirk smiled. "Just sleep, Bones."

Had he not spoken, Bones would have gone right back to sleep, but hearing Jim's voice, he was suddenly awake.

"Jim?"

"Yeah. You ok?"

Sighing, Bones relaxed back into Jim's chest. "I'm sorry. This isn't as easy as I thought it would be. I'm trying though, I swear I am."

Kirk didn't have to ask what Bones was talking about. He knew it was their relationship, being out in the open. He knew that's what it was. Bones hadn't said anything about it, but he could tell by the way he acted. Kirk wanted to help him become more comfortable, but it seemed the more he did, the more it made it uncomfortable for the good doctor.

"I know, Bones. You are doing fine."

But he didn't feel like he was. He didn't know how to get rid of these feelings. He knew Jim wasn't going to pressure him. He just had to find his comfort level. Even if it was uncomfortable for him, he was trying for Jim, for both of them. He knew Jim knew it too.

Jim pressed his lips to the back of Bones' head. "Would you like to go to bed?"

Shaking his head, he snuggled more into Jim. "No. This is good."

Jim smiled and relaxed more with him.


	3. Beer Pong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DAY 3 - Gaming - On day three of the 30-Day OTP Challenge, Bones has no idea how he got roped into playing beer pong.  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kirk sat in the rec room with a beer in hand watching members of his crew playing various games and other activities. Even though he'd only been on the Enterprise D a couple days, he already missed the holodeck. The recreation room was fun, like a big gaming room. There were some holographic games available, but none of them were like the holodeck. None of them could take you to any place you could dream up and walk for miles and miles on end and still just be inside the room the holodeck was made in. It was the most incredible thing he'd ever seen.

Something caught his peripheral and he turned his head to see none other than Bones come into the room. "Ah, Bones!" Kirk stood from the chair he was sitting in, walking over to him. "If anyone needs some fun, it's you! What are you doing here?"

Bones looked around the room, shifting slightly and looking back at Jim. "I was looking for you, Actually." Kirk could see that Bones really didn't want to be there, but then he smiled and raised his shoulders. "Want to play a game?"

Turning his head slightly in surprise, he nodded. "Yeah! I know just the one!" Walking over to the communication panel, he called to the mess hall. "Briel, I need a six pack of Earth beer and 12 plastic cups. Bring them to Deck 5, recreation room."

" _Yes sir. On my way."_

Kirk ended the comm and turned to Bones who didn't do anything but stand there until he said, "Jim, I did not come down here to get drunk."

"Come on, Bones! I swear! It'll be fun!"

Sighing and rolling his eyes, Bones agreed. "Alright. What are we playing? What's the cups for?"

Kirk only smiled, placing his hand on Bones back, leading him over to a paddle ball table. Grabbing four balls from the storage, he handed two of them to Bones. "These will be yours." Jim moved to the center of one or the table tennis tables, unhooking the net. Setting it aside, he turned back to Bones. "Beer pong, Bones! Have you ever played?"

"No." Liar, but he remained deadpan as ever. He wasn't in the mood to get wasted, but he figured the sooner he got this game over and done with, the sooner they could go back to Jim's quarters and call it a night.

"Captain."

Kirk turned to see Briel carrying a six pack of beer and the plastic cups. "Ah, Briel!" He reached out, taking the items from him. "Thank you." The mess officer turned and walked away and Kirk turned back to Bones. "You've seen me play this several times. You used to have to drag my ass back to the dorm room after several games, remember?"

How could he forget? Jim was always getting drunker than a skunk with one game or the next. Hell, Jim didn't even need a game to get drunk. Neither one of them were going to get drunk off a six pack. It wasn't more than beer from earth. Hell, it's not like they were drinking Romulan Ale. Bones didn't even want to put the idea into Jim's head. Even if the stuff was illegal, he'd still find a way to get some.

"I remember."

Kirk started setting up the cups, six on each side of the table in triangular form, like six bowling pins. Filling each of the cups, he turned to Bones when he was finished.

"Now, Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock!"

Bones rolled his eyes. How Spock and a lizard ever became part of that trivial game, he'd never know. He didn't even want to know. Kirk held his fist over his flat palm.

"Ready when you are, Bones."

Sighing, and rolling his eyes once more, he stepped up closer to Jim, placing his palm out with his fist on top of it. "I'm going to regret this. I think I already do."

"You're just afraid you're going to lose." He pounded his hand with his fist. "Come on!"

Rolling his eyes once more, Bones readied himself.

"Rock," Kirk was the only one to say the words out loud, setting up the square off. "Paper. Scissors. Lizard. Spock."

And with him finishing the premise, each of them allowed their hands take the form of the object they had chosen. Kirk of course chose Spock, (using the Vulcan hand gesture for when they said "live long and prosper") but Bones knew that was the one he always chose, so he chose a lizard.

"Ha!" He cheaply celebrated. "Lizard poisons Spock." Even still, they've been playing this game a few years now with the addition of Spock and lizard, the cheap satisfaction he got from poisoning "Spock" was worth it. It may be infantile, but if they were going to behave like infants, he may as well feel satisfied by it. "Assume the position, Jim."

Kirk smirked. "Well, Bones. If you wanted my ass, all you had to do was say so."

And no matter what, Jim was always able to surprise him somehow. Even knowing the type of man he is, the sorts of things he says, little things like that still stopped Bones in his tracks. Kirk winked at him and walked over to the table. Taking only a second, Bones recovered himself and walked to the other end of the table.

"Take your best shot."

"Prepare to take four!"

Bones smirked across the table at Jim. "So cocky."

"Babe Ruth Rules." Kirk pointed at the front cup. "Front." He planned on exactly one bounce, directly into the cup. Tossing the ball, it bounced in the center of the table and then hit the side of the cup, bouncing away from the cup.

Bones shook his head. "That's the best you got."

"Alright, going for it again. This time, no bounce." He tossed the ball and it landed in the cup behind and to the right.

"Ha! Didn't land in the drink you said! No drink for me."

An ensign stepped up to Dr. McCoy, holding the captain's other ball. "I've got it, sir."

Bones arched an eyebrow, reaching into the cup and pulling out the ball. "Alright."

The ensign took the balls to his captain. "I'll be your ball boy, sir."

Kirk choked back a snicker and Bones couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"Thank you, Jensen."

The ensign nodded. "My pleasure, sir."

Kirk looked across the table, shaking his head. "Your shot, Bones."

Bones nodded before taking a steady stance and aiming at the collection of cups. He wasn't going to aim for any particular one. Letting the first ball fly, it flew, directly into the middle cup in front of Jim.

"Ha! Drink!"

"Lucky shot..." Kirk mumbled, pulling the cup to his mouth.

"Prepare for another." Bones sent another ball straight into the cup in the middle in front of Jim.

Shaking his head, Jim picked up the other glass. "If I didn't know better. I'd say you were cheating."

"Ha. Drink it, flyboy, then take your turn."

Kirk handed his empty cups to his ball boy and steadied his attention on the cups across the table from him. Calling it out, "Front and center," he tossed the ball and it landed directly into the cup. "SCORE! Drink up, old man!"

Five years wasn't much older, but Jim had started calling him "old man" when Bones kept policing his activities. Kirk loved it, and Bones didn't mind the nickname. Bones picked up the next cup.

"Take your next shot."

Kirk called out, "Corner right." A miss.

The next round or two went by with Kirk missing one or both. Bones had only missed once. By the time he came down to the last cup, he smiled across the table at Jim. "You're making the bed in the morning."

The wager came out quietly. The only ones who heard were Jim and the ensign standing beside him. Jenesn's face turned pink. The ball went directly into the cup.

"Ha! Drink up!"

Kirk took the drink in his hand and shook his head. "I'm taking you down next time."

Bones rolled his eyes. "You won't get me playing this again. You know you'll lose."

"All the more reason to challenge you to a rematch."

Shaking his head, Bones stepped around the table. "Let's just go."

Kirk smirked, turning to the ensign, handing him the ball and the cup he'd just drunk. "Clean up here for us."

Jensen nodded. "Yes, Captain."

Kirk left the room with Bones, his arm wrapped around Bones' shoulders. He'd most likely get Bones to play again, but he was pretty sure he would win again. Bones had a lot more concentration than he did. He always had.


	4. Just The Two of Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DAY 4 - On a Date- Day four of the 30-Day OTP Challenge finds Kirk walking into the Senior Officers' Dining Room to find no one there but Bones.  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_"Captain,"_ Bones voice came through the ship's comm system and Kirk looked up.

"Yes, Bones?"

The members of the bridge crew looked around at each other. A few smirking, some shaking their heads. They shouldn't be using the comm system like this, but no one would question the captain.

_"Sir, your presence is required in the senior officer's dining room."_

Kirk's eyebrow raised high above his eye, shaking his head. "Now, Bones?"

"Yes, sir. Immediately."

Pushing himself from the seat, he nodded to Sulu. "You've got the conn."

Nodding, Sulu stood from his seat and walked back to the captain's chair as Captain Kirk left through the turbolift at the back of the bridge. Kirk had no idea what Bones could possibly need in the dining room. He wondered if something had happened to chef Denton. Exiting the turbolift, he headed down the corridor toward the dining room.

The door whooshed open when he approached and found the room barely lit. Across the room, near the bay window, stood Bones next to a table with a lit wax candle. Slowly walking in, Kirk looked around the room before focusing on Bones as he came closer to him.

"Where's Denton?"

"I gave him the night off," Bones told him matter-of-factly. "Everyone else will eat elsewhere tonight. Tonight, this is our space."

Smiling, Kirk closed the distance between them, looking down at the table.

"I made your favorite. Steak and potatoes. Straight from the great state of Iowa."

Kirk turned his gaze back to Bones. "Bones! Ha! This is great!" Leaning in, he kissed the side of Bones' mouth. "You're the best."

Bones shrugged his shoulders. "I am." Smirking at Jim, he pulled out a chair for him. "Your seat, Captain."

Nodding, Jim sat and let Bones slide him in, looking over at the food. "Denton really went all out." Kirk smirked across the table at Bones as he sat. "What did you bribe him with?"

"No bribe, Jim. This was all me."

Kirk's eyes widened. "You cooked for me?"

"You really are a sap, you know that?"

Kirk laughed. "Only when it comes to you." He looked back down at the food. "Seriously, Bones. This is amazing."

"Wait till you taste it before you continue to praise me."

Laughing, Kirk nodded, reaching out and picking up the bottle of steak sauce near his plate. "I can't believe all this, Bones. What's the occasion?" he asked, dousing the steak with sauce as well as pooling some next to his steak before putting the bottle down and picking up his knife and fork.

"I figured we never actually had a real date. Here we are in a real relationship, and we've never had a date."

"Bones!" Kirk shook his head. "Its been a long time since you've been on a date, hasn't it? You didn't even ask me out."

Bones glared across the table, chewing a bite of steak. "I thought it would be better this way."

Kirk nodded, agreeing. "I love the surprise. Thank you, Bones." He put the first bite in his mouth and his eyes rolled back into his head. "Oh, dear God, Bones!" He spoke while chewing, his words muffled from the food in his mouth. "This is so good!"

"How can you even taste it with all that shit on it?"

"Want some?"

Bones shook his head. "No." He knew Jim loved the stuff on his steak, but Bones thought it take the flavor away from the steak. What's the point of having the steak when all you taste is the sauce.

"What's the occasion?" Kirk asked, cutting another piece of steak, smothering it in the sauce.

"Do I need a reason to want to go on a real date with the man I love?"

Kirk smiled across the table at him, chewing the bite in his mouth. "No."

Bones nodded, cutting another bite. "Actually," he took a deep breath, "there was reason for this." He held his fork up with the bite of steak on it. "I know I've cleared out the dining room so we could be alone, but I wanted to show you that I'm..." he exhaled slowly. "I'm ok with this."

Kirk almost choked on his steak. "Bones!" His eyes were watering. "Really?" He choked a few more times."

"Don't make a big deal about it. I think I'm doing enough right here of that for the both of us!"

Kirk barely laughed. "What? You don't want me to send out a ship wide announcement over the comm system telling everyone that I'm in love with my boyfriend who just made me an amazing homemade dinner?"

"Good God, no!" Bones protested, but couldn't help but laugh anyway.

Kirk reached across the table, taking Bones' hand in his own. "Thank you, Bones. It's wonderful. All of it."

Bones simply nodded, looking across the table into Jim's eyes, the candle softly dancing in his cerulean eyes. Kirk let his thumb caress the side of Bones hand. They sat there for a moment, neither of them eating, neither of them glancing away. This was a big moment for each of them and Kirk was glad that even though it was for the reason Bones had set it up for, it was still just the two of them enjoying the meal together.

No one would be coming in on them to bother them. No one would be interrupting them. No one would be wanting them. They'd still be susceptible to comm system interruption, but no one else was there in the room with them, and that made it feel as though no one else was in the world at the moment.

Kirk slowly pulled his hand back from Bones' and picked up his fork again. "So, you gonna end this night the way a date is supposed to end?"

"And how, pray tell, would that be?" Bones knew exactly what Kirk was getting at, but oddly decided to play his coy game.

Kirk smirked, letting his eyebrows dance above his eyes. "Do I get a kiss goodnight?"

Bones shook his head, stifling a laugh. "If you're lucky, you may just get more than a kiss, Jim."

Kirk laughed, taking another bite. This was already one of the best nights of his life.


	5. Kiss Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DAY 05 - Kissing - On day five of the 30-Day OTP Challenge, Mr. Scott takes a walk and finds the captain and the doctor at the door of the captain's quarters, kissing.  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kirk had insisted on doing dishes. Of course, the washer could do it, but Kirk wanted to do them the way Bones had made their dinner, the _old fashioned_ way. Bones stood behind him, barely helping, instead nuzzling the side of Jim's neck, hands soaping up Kirk's arms, not actually doing any of the washing he said he wanted to help with. He'd wanted to help, but Kirk insisted, " _You cooked, the least I can do is wash the dishes."_

And even though Bones said he wanted to help, he wasn't helping at all. He was making the task downright impossible for Kirk. Closing his eyes, he leaned his head back to rest against Bones' shoulder. Groaning, he inhaled deeply.

"I can't concentrate, Bones."

"That's the idea, baby," Bones whispered heavily against Jim's ear. "Just forget the dishes." He pushed his pelvis up against Jim's ass, causing Jim's breath to get caught in his throat.

"If you don't stop, you're not going to be able to get back to our quarters without everyone knowing _exactly_ what we were doing in here."

Bones groaned. "Just hurry up then." He pushed himself away from Jim, letting his hand grip at his ass before leaning against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest to watch him. "Look at you being all domestic."

Kirk looked over at Bones, winking at him. "You getting enjoyment out of this?"

Bones nodded his head. "Oh yeah, I've always wanted to come home to my lover wearing nothing but an apron, dinner waiting for me and -"

Kirk gasped. "I can't believe you're objectifying me like that!"

Bones smirked at Jim. "You love it!"

Kirke laughed. "Yeah, I kinda do."

Bones laughed, shaking his head. "You about done there, Mrs. McCoy?"

Kirk's eyes widened, trying so hard not to laugh. "Missus, huh?"

"No way you're getting me to be the missus."

Kirk couldn't keep his laughter in any longer. "What? You don't want to be Mrs. Kirk?"

Shaking his head, Bones slightly snickered. "Hell no. I'll save that for Winona. You can be the missus."

Turning off the water, Kirk reached for the towel to dry off his hands. "Sure. I'll do anything for you, Bones."

Groaning, Bones took Jim's hand in his, taking the towel and tossing it on the counter. "Lets go!"

Laughing, Kirk let Bones pull him from the kitchen and dining room out into the corridors of the ship. Bones hadn't been lying by saying that he was ready to be ok with their relationship. He didn't even mind all the looks everyone was giving them as they headed back to the captain's quarters. It made Kirk smile, inwardly. He was already brimming ear to ear with the biggest non-jackass smile ever.

Coming up to the door, Bones stopped, turning to face Jim. Looking into his eyes, he smiled, lifting his hand to run it through Jim's hair. Kirk smiled down at Bones. He was acting so out of character, but maybe it was his new level of comfortability. Maybe it was because he felt comfortable showing his feelings in front of the crew. He was used to only having the rare moments where Bones would get mushy in bed.

Yet here he was, being romantic out in the corridor where anyone and anyone _was_  walking by to watch.

"Good evening, Captain. Doctor."

Kirk nodded to the lieutenant, but kept his attention focused on Bones. Bones let his hand slide down to Jim's neck, lacing his fingers into the hair at the back of Jim's head. Slowly, Bones pulled Jim closer to him, turning his head so he could press his lips to his lovers'. Kirk smiled as their lips came together and he softly let his lips part so Bones' discreet and silently questing tongue could slide into his mouth.

Moaning out softly, Kirk lifted his hands, one to grip the forearm of the hand that Bones was holding his neck with, the other gripping at his other bicep. Bones stepped closer, wrapping his arm around Jim's waist, pulling him closer. Their bodies came together in a soft sigh, Jim's uniform brushing up against Bones' civies. Their grips were gentle, but they were enough to show the other that they wanted each other.

Their lips softly parted, but only barely. Kirk licked his lips and his tongue lightly brushed against Bones' lips. Bones smiled, his hand softly rubbing at Jim's back. Neither one of them wanted to move. They simply wanted to stand there with each other, enjoying the openness of their relationship. They didn't care who walked by. Kirk loved that Bones was _finally_ alright with their relationship, and he was going to bask in that as long as Bones allowed.

"Well, 's'about time!"

Both Bones and Kirk rolled their eyes behind their eyelids before turning their heads toward Scotty, hearing him come up beside them. They stepped just a step apart from each other, Bones' hand still placed on the small of Jim's back.

"Mr. Scott?"

Scotty smiled at them, Keenser's little black eyes looking up at the two of them intently. They were all used to the Roylan's presence on the ship, but in this particular instance, it even made Jim a little uncomfortable.

"Nice evening for a stroll, i'n' it?"

Clearing his throat, Jim shook his head. "That it is. Perhaps down in the gardens. Sulu tells me the Kaferian apples are finally ripe. You should go have one!"

Scotty's eyes beamed brightly. "Aye, Captain. Terrific! Come, Keenser!"

Thankfully, the funny Scotsman and his sidekick continued on their way. Kirk turned his gaze back toward Bones, shrugging his shoulders."Call it a night?"

Bones nodded his head, turning with Jim and leading him into the room. The door whooshed shut behind them and Kirk turned to face Bones.

"Give me a moment," he said, kissing the side of Bones'cheek. "There's been something I've wanted to do for quite a while."

Bones knew that look in Jim's eye. He knew whatever he was cooking up, it wasn't going to be a good thing. "I'm going to regret this, I just know it."

"Relax, Bones," Kirk said, going into the bedroom. "I'll be out in a few minutes!"


	6. If You Were Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DAY 06 - Wearing each others' clothes - On day six, Kirk lives out a fantasy with Bones.  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kirk had been planning this for years now. Ever since he and Bones got together, he had always wanted to play doctor with him. He knew Bones would never go for it with things as they were. He was already a doctor. He could hear him now. _"Damnit, Jim, I'm a doctor, I don't want to play one!"_ But that didn't mean Kirk couldn't play one. That didn't mean he didn't want to play one. He had it all planned out, total role exchange. He'd be Dr. Kirk and Bones would be Captain Bones. Thinking about it already had him hard. He'd just have to relax until he got out to Bones. He couldn't pull this off with a stiffie between his legs.

Kirk kept his own pants on, but pulled Bones' shirt on, looking at himself in the full-length mirror in the bathroom off the bedroom. It was a bit tight, but he looked really good in blue. It really made his eyes a deeper blue. Taking a deep breath, he came out of the bathroom and grabbed a fresh shirt out of his closet for Bones. He was sure Bones was going to look incredibly sexy in his command yellow. He could already feel his cock growing in anticipation of seeing him in it.

Leaving the bedroom, he came into the main area of the living quarters, standing near the doorway, waiting for Bones to look up. He was studying a medical manual, in complete oblivion. Kirk cleared his throat, waiting for Bones to look up at him. When he finally did, his expression was blank. Kirk was certain if Bones hadn't liked the idea of what him standing there meant, he would have said right off the bat. Instead, Bones simply shook his head.

"You've got to be kidding me!"

Shaking his head, Kirk tried to speak as gruffly as Bones. "Dr. Kirk reporting for duty," he pulled out his uniform shirt from behind his back, "Its time for your annual checkup, Captain Bones."

Bones slammed his palm up against his forehead, grumbling behind it. Walking over to him, Kirk held his shirt over to him. "Come on, Captain. It's imperative you report to medical for your checkup."

Bones looked up at Jim, putting the manual aside. It wasn't a tablet manual. Bones had no idea how to use those things. He had to use a good old fashion book. Kirk had no idea where he even found those things, especially ones with relevant information to what could be found in a tablet manual. But that wasn't anything Kirk wanted to focus on right now. He wanted to focus on getting Bones into his shirt and then getting him out of it.

Shaking his head, Bones reached up, taking the shirt from Jim. "I don't know why I'm doing this."

Kirk smirked at him. "Because you're intrigued! You wanna see what my twisted mind is going to come up with."

Walking toward the bedroom, and ultimately the bathroom, Bones called back. "I'm just surprised you haven't asked to do this before, with me as your doctor."

Kirk laughed. It was close enough to what Kirk had thought he'd say. He half expected him to say _"I'm a doctor, Jim, not..."_ but that was close enough.

Bones walked into the bathroom, shaking his head at himself in the mirror. "The things you let that man talk you into." Pulling his shirt off over his head, he tossed it on the counter before pulling Jim's shirt on over his head. It fit a little more loosely than his did, but it was rather comfortable. Adjusting it, he looked himself over in the mirror, letting his shoulders roll in a slight shrug, but nodding. "Not too bad."

Coming out of the bathroom, he walked over and laid down on the bed. "I am ready, Doctor." Jesus, he felt like a complete fool. Jim better make this good.

Hearing Bones call to him from the bedroom, he instantly made his way to join Bones in the bedroom. Coming into the room, he saw Bones laying down on the bed. Smiling to himself, he walked around, kneeling down on his side of the bed.

"Captain Bones," he tried to imitate Bones as best as he could. "Right on time for your annual just make sure things are in working order." Lifting his hand, he slowly slid it over Bones' thigh, causing a slight twitch to originate from that spot. Smiling to himself, he looked up at Bones whose eyes were already glazed over with a gloss of pleasure. "So far, so good."

Shaking his head, Bones pushed his head back into the pillow and closed his eyes. "You're having too much fun."

"You'll be having too much fun soon enough, Captain Bones."

Shaking his head, Bones inhaled and relaxed more on the bed with Jim there. Jim leaned forward, pressing his lips to Bones. Bones hadn't expected this, but recovered quickly from the shock and returned the kiss. Kirk let his tongue slide into Bones' mouth, letting it brush against Bones' for a moment.

Slowly pulling back from the kiss, he smiled down at Bones. "Excellent reflexes."

Bones shook his head. "How long is this going to go on, Doctor?"

Smirking, Kirk let his hand move from Bones thigh to rub over the top of his dick. He was already hard. That's exactly what he had wanted. He wanted this to get Bones going as much as it was getting him going. It was so hot for him to pretend to be something he's not. Calling Bones Captain was enough to get him releasing in his pants with no touch at all.

Letting his hand move more around Bones hardened dick through his pants, he started to rub him through is pants. "I am going to have to run some tests, Captain. An overview examination isn't enough."

"Damnit, Jim, just fuck me already!"

"That's Doctor Jim to you, Captain!"

Shaking his head, Bones pushed Jim onto his back and kissed him roughly, mumbling against Jim's lips, "Shut up, Doctor. That's an order!"


	7. Avengers Assemble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DAY 07 - Cosplaying - Kirk finds a comic book in Bones' belongings after he starts moving into the captain's quarters.  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bones had been bringing a few of his things down to Kirk's quarters when Kirk suggested he make himself more at home. If they were really gonna be together, Kirk wanted Bones to feel like his quarters were his, not that he was just staying there. Yes, on the ships records, the doctor still maintained his quarters, but for all intents and purposes, Bones was now living with Kirk in his quarters.

Kirk had always been a bit nosey, wanting to know everything and anything he can about Bones, and now was not an exception. In fact, having Bones stuff in his quarters made him even more intrigued. He had lots of smart things. If there was one thing that remained true about Bones, he was a very smart man, and every aspect of his life indicated such. But there was one thing that particularly sparked Kirk's interest.

It was wrapped in a protective plastic cover, and Kirk had to chuckle to himself, sitting down on the bed. Not only was Bones exceptionally smart, but he was also a nerd. Kirk loved it. In the protective cover was a copy of Avengers Assemble #1. Kirk couldn't believe it. It was vintage, an antique. He was sure it was still in pristine condition. Looking through the cover, he could tell that none of the corners were bent, no marks were on the front of the comic. It was virtually perfect.

Kirk had heard of these, but he'd never seen one. Opening the cover, he pulled the thin, paperback book out and looked it over. Damn, it even smelled brand new. How Bones managed that, Kirk would never know. Laying down on his stomach on the bed, he started to read the book. It was amazing. He read from cover to cover and wanted to know more. Leaving the book where it was on the bed, he stood, walking out of the bedroom and over to the computer console at his desk.

Sitting down, he tapped a few keys before speaking into it. "Computer, bring up all the information you can on Avengers Assemble, circa 2012."

The computer made a few beeping sounds, indicating it was working on compiling the information. Images, documents, sound files and videos started to flood Kirk's screen. He found out that not only was it a comic series, but a series of movies as well. There were six Avengers and four of them had their own series of movies. There had been a different actor to play the giant green rage monster known as the Hulk his original movie, but the actor they had found to play the Hulk in the Avengers movies had been brand new all together..

Kirk spent the next few hours watching the Avenger movies and by the time he was finished, he had a horrible idea. Bones was going to want to knock his block off, but Kirk had to do this. The crew could use some fun. He went about the ship on a scavenger hunt to look for items for the ideas forming in his head. He'd get Spock, Uhura, Checkov and Scott to join in. He wasn't actually sure who would be who beyond Uhura being Black Widow and him and Bones being Captain America and Iron man, but they'd figure it out.

Once he had all the items assembled, he sent out a message over the ship for the five of them to join him in the recreation room. Spock was the first to arrive. Looking over the items and the way Kirk was dressed in blue spandex and something reminiscent of the flag that had stood for the United States of America in Earth's history prior to the 22nd century. He cocked his head to the side and tried to figure it out without asking, but was at a loss for words?

"Captain, why are you wearing clothes representing that of the continent you were born and raised on? Is there specific importance?"

Kirk smiled a big stupid grin. "Ha! You called me Captain!"

Spock was even more confused than he had been before. "That is your rank, sir."

"Yes, well, today I am Captain Steve Rogers, also known as Captain America."

"What in the spangly hell?"

Kirk turned to see Bones walking in the door. "Tony!" He walked over to him, handing him a round light with an adhesive back and a black shirt with some emblem from a band called Black Sabbath printed on the front of the shirt. He had found it with Bones' stuff, having seen him wear it before on occasion, never knowing it had more meaning than being a simple shirt. "Suit up."

"What have you done, Jim?"

"It's Steve, Stark," Kirk said, winking at him.

"No way in hell I'm doing this." It was one thing for the two of them to dress up in the privacy of their bedroom, but it was another for them to play in front of the other crew members.

"Just go along with it, Bones. Please." He'd say he was doing this because of him, but he was sure Bones knew exactly where this was coming from and he didn't need to disclose his secret to everyone else.

Uhura walked into the room behind Bones, about ready to question the captain on their impromptu sequestering, but stopped when he saw the way the captain was dressed. She couldn't help but laugh a bit. "What are you wearing, Captain?"

"Tash!" He said, causing Uhura to shake her head as he turned back to the table to grab the outfit he'd brought for her. Turning back to her, he gave her a huge grin. "I'd like you to be Black Widow. Please," he added for good measure.

Uhura narrowed her eyes on him, shaking her head. "I am not going to dress up for your cheap pleasure, Captain."

"What if I made it on order, Lieutenant?"

She glared at him but was unable to retort back because Scotty came into the room beside her, his usual excitement preceding him. "Is it a party?"

"Yes! Finally, someone excited to do this! Mr. Scott! You can be Thor, the Asgardian God of Thunder!"

"Alright! Do I get to have a hammer?"

Kirk nodded happily. "Of course, what would Thor be without his hammer? AND!" He turned to the table, picking up a makeshift breastplate of armor made of an engineering shielding and a red cloak. "Armor and cape!"

"Right on!" Scott readily took the costume and started to put it on.

"Great! All we need now is Ensign Checkov!" Turning back to Spock he shrugged his shoulders. "I was thinking I would make you Bruce, since he's one of Tony's best friends," he smirked over at Bones, knowing full-well the mutual feeling between him and Mr. Spock, "but since you and Uhura are together, it's only right that you get to be Legolas."

Bones shook his head, rolling his eyes. "It's Hawkeye, Captain, and that would have been my line."

Kirk smiled brightly, turning back to Bones. "Thank you, Bones!"

"It's Iron Man."

Kirk clapped his hands together, cheering excitedly. "Awesome!"

Checkov came into the room, seeing Scotty dressed in a cloke, holding a large hammer. Looking over to the captain, he shook his head.

"Costume party? I did not come prepared!"

"That's alright, Checkov. I got you one myself!"

He walked over to the table and picked up an antique pair of reading glasses. Bones had given them to him last year for his birthday. They meant a lot to him, but he didn't know where else he could find an old fashioned pair of reading glasses. What he wouldn't have given for a replicator? Sometimes he missed the Enterprise D.

"Don't lose these, my friend. They were a gift." Kirk smiled over at Bones who did his best to stifle his own smile.

Checkov took the glasses, looking up with him questioningly. "I do not understand, Captain. Who am I to be with zese?"

"Bruce Banner." He patted his chest. "No Hulking out now."

"Bruce Banner? Who i'zat?"

Kirk walked over the a computer panel on the wall, pushing a button. "Computer, play Avengers Assemble, timestamp 1:52:10." The computer beeped and the music filled the room. This was where they'd have movie nights, and Kirk now thought it would be awesome to have an Avengers movie marathon, but he wanted to play first. Kirk's crew watched as the clip showed the characters standing in a circle watching as mechanical looking aliens started flying in the sky around them, that was the best way Kirk could describe them.

"Computer, freeze frame," he instructed once it was showing all six of the Avengers. "Alright, from left to right. Uhurah, that is Natasha Romanov, aka Black Widow. You will be playing her. Next there in the back, Mr. Scott, you're aware of who Thor is."

Scotty nodded. "Aye, Captain!"

"Next, in front on the left there is Captain America, AKA Steve Rogers. That's me. He's the First Avenger, a super soldier created in a lab in the middle of Earth's World War II." He looked over to Bones. "How did I do with the outfit?"

Bones looked him over, shaking his head. It was as close as he could get with the materials he had to work with. "Just get on with it, Spangles."

Kirk chuckled, continuing with the briefing. "That next one is Iron Man. I had no idea what I was going to come up with for a suit like that, so Bones will just be Tony Stark today, the man inside the can. The round light there from his chest is called an arc reactor. It powers the suit, but also keeps some piece of an explosion from something that's stuck in his chest and threatening to slice into his heart and kill him." He wouldn't add that Bones already knew all that, but the rest of them didn't.

"That next one is The Hulk," he said, looking over at Checkov. "Bruce Banner was infected with Gamma rays and turned into that giant green rage monster. I couldn't find anything to turn you into that thing. I'm sorry."

Checkov shook his head. "Tha's'ok. I could not be zat if I vanted to."

Kirk smiled. "And that prima donna in the background there is Clint Barton, aka Hawkey. That's who you will be, Mr. Spock." As he told him this, he picked up the bow and quiver of arrows he had sequestered from another recreation room and handed it over to him.

"I apologize, sir," Spock slowly started, inspecting the . "I do not see the importance in this exercise."

"Its for fun, Spock. You are going to have fun. That is an order."

"Sir," Spock continued, even after the given order. "I am sure I do not understand what I am supposed to do in order to have … fun."

Kirk rolled his eyes, looking over at Uhura. "You're the one with the talented tongue. Explain the role to your boy toy."

"As long as I don't have to explain it to your boy toy, Captain." Uhura glared at her captain, and walked over to Spock, attempting to explain to him what Kirk was wanting from the rest of them. Kirk smiled and walked over to Bones, lowering his voice so only the two of them could hear what he had to say.

"So, what do you think?"

Bones shook his head. "It was a stretch for me to be your Captain Bones in the bedroom, but I can't believe you're expecting me, let alone the rest of your senior officers, to play these silly games."

"Come on, Bones. I thought you of all people would like this."

"I'm not you, Jim. I don't play whenever I get the chance." Shaking his head, he walked off to change into the costume Jim had provided him.

Kirk wasn't sure why Bones was so upset. He thought he'd enjoy playing something out like this. Was it because he had decided to include the rest of the crew, or was it because it wasn't just the two of them. After they had played, Kirk would ask him. For now, he was going to try to enjoy the fun Bones had inadvertently and unknowingly introduced him to.

Kirk requested a few of the ensigns, and Lieutenant Sulu, to report to the recreation room for sparring exercises. Together, the crew of the Enterprise fought against the imaginary foes the Sulu and the ensigns represented. Kirk found he was able to ease into the role of Captain America rather well. He wasn't nearly as wholesome as Steve Rogers, but he wasn't kicking butt as Rogers, he was kicking butt as Captain America.

The other's worked well around him. The arrows Spock had for Hawkeye's bow weren't real, and were thus nonlethal. He could fire them at the ensigns without concern for killing them unnecessarily. His aim was amazingly accurate. Kirk had been unsure it was a good fit for him, but he found it had been the best he could have come up with.

Checkov didn't do much more than assist Kirk in coming up with scenarios of attack. That was, until he asked permission to Hulk out. Kirk had nodded. "Now would be a good time for you to get angry." Appreciating the invitation, Checkov handed Kirk the glasses he had been wearing for a few hours now and pretended to morph into an enormous green rage monster. It was highly amusing to Kirk for him to hear the little Russian imitate the Hulk's growling.

Uhura didn't surprise Kirk when she asked if she could "use a phaser to take out Sulu and his minions." Of course, Agent Romanov hadn't had a phaser back in her time, but Kirk had no idea where he would get even a replica of a gun. Those primitive weapons, even replicas, had been banned and destroyed several decades ago. "Granted, Agent Romanov!" He couldn't remember if Captain America had ever said the word granted in any of his films, but he was too used to being captain of his starship, it just came out.

Scotty was a little more playful than the God of Thunder was, but he was having fun, that was all that Kirk really wanted. He and Checkov were probably having more fun than the rest of them. And then probably Natasha. Spock, even with his precision, he was still uncertain as to what the exercise was for. "Vulcans do not have fun." To that, Kirk had replied. "But you're not a Vulcan. You're a super spy who is nothing more than a human." Spock's mouth scrunched up in a manner Kirk knew meant he was contemplating his words.

Bones, however, was another story. He was getting into the role, and by far knew what he was doing far more than the rest of them, yet Kirk could not tell if he was having fun or not. He was simply being the part. He even pretended to be in the Iron Man suit, even if he was just standing around in his black pants and Black Sabbath T-shirt, shooting off his "repulsors" from his hands and talking to Jarvis.

Sulu, however unsure to the meaning of the costumes, welcomed the exercise. He asked Kirk if he could use one of the practice combat swords to spar with and Kirk had agreed to it. Besides, Uhura had a phaser replacing the gun Natasha Romanov carried. All in all, everyone was really getting into the fun of the moment.

After a few hours of the fun, Kirk told them they could return to their posts, even letting them take their costumes with them, all except for Checkov, and the items that needed to stay in the rec room, but he let Scotty and Uhura take their clothes with them. He expected they would each get as much fun out of them as he hoped he and Bones would.

"Bones," Kirk stopped him. "A moment?"

Sighing, Bones shook his head. "I really should get back to medical."

"Can we just talk?"

Bones shook his head. "I don't want to talk, Jim. I just want to go back to work."

"Bones, I thought you would enjoy this. I thought it would be something you would like because of the..."

"Because of one of my comic books that you found snooping around in my stuff?"

Kirk took a mental step back. "I'm a snoop, Bones. You know that. It never bothered you before."

"Yeah, well you didn't take something that I like and exploit it for all the ship to see!"

"I didn't! For all they know, I'm a comic book nerd, not you!"

Bones nodded his head. "You're right." He closed the distance between the two of them, smiling at him. "Thank you, _Steve_."

Kirk laughed, nodding his head, lifting his hand to wrap it around the back of Bones' neck. "You're welcome, _Tony_." He smiled and brought his lips to meet Bones'. The kiss lasted only a few moments and when Kirk pulled back, he rested his forehead against Bones', smiling contently. "After your shift ends, maybe we can discuss the underlying sexual tension in Steve and Tony's relationship."

Bones pulled back his head, looking up at Kirk in amazement. "It's there! I'm not the only one who sees it!"

Kirk laughed, shaking his head. "No, they are definitely in love with each other. You can totally see it."

Bones turned his head slightly to the side. "Permission to return to duty without my uniform, Captain?"

Kirk smiled, nodding his head this time. "I said Uhura and Scotty could. I just can't wait for your shift to end. I really want to explore this tension between Steve and Tony."

"Be there as soon as I can, Cap!"

Kirk smiled, knowing that was what Tony called Steve. He liked it. Tonight was going to be a fun night, even more fun than their little activity with the rest of the senior crew here in the recreation room.


	8. Happiness and Tranquility

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DAY 08 - Shopping- Kirk is directed to negotiate peace talks between two factions on the planet of Jaspara.  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

_"Captain's log. Stardate 2261.55. Our current course has brought us near the M Class planet of Jaspara. Population of 1100. The planet has been in civil war for the last two hundred years. They have requested that Starfleet negotiate peace talks between the two factions. With no other ship in the region, we have been ordered to take on this diplomatic mission and bring the two sides to an agreeable union."_

Kirk had assembled his team ahead of time. Sulu would remain on the ship at the conn. Kirk would be heading down to the surface with Spock, Lt. Uhura and Bones. The four of them were looking forward to this diplomatic mission. Well, Spock was looking forward to it as much as his Vulcan blood would allow. The rest of them were excited to get down on the planet and learn about this civilization.

Even Bones was looking forward to this mission. He had asked Kirk specifically if he could go down. They wouldn't necessarily need a medical officer, but Bones wanted to see their practices. He wasn't allowed by Starfleet regulations to give them any information past their technological standings, but he was allowed to take in all he could of their advancements.

Spock was coming along in the capacity of his science officer position, there to observe and record, as well as Uhura being there for communication standpoint, to observe their languages and customs. Kirk's capacity was simply diplomatic, there to see to the agreement personally. He found the opportunity to be an amazing honor.

Neither Kirk nor Bones had gone anywhere near the transporter since their last incident with the machine. Bones hadn't liked the damned things to begin with, but even Kirk was slightly nervous. They didn't want to end up in some unknown time where transporters weren't even thought of or maybe that their technology had become obsolete, and then they never would be able to get back to their time. Not that Kirk wouldn't mind another trip to the Enterprise D even just to spend some time in the holodeck, he wasn't looking forward to being displaced at all.

"I won't hold it against you two if you wanted to hold hands," Uhura said, stepping up onto the platform followed by Kirk who took one of the pads next to her.

Bones glared up at her. "Not funny, Lieutenant."

Kirk turned his head quickly toward Bones. "Actually, I'm not opposed to the idea." Honestly, he was scared shitless, to say the least. At least this way, they would be holding hands and not risk the chance of being separated from each other.

Rolling his eyes, he asked, even as he held up his hand, "Is that an order, Captain?"

Kirk nodded his head quickly. "Oh, yeah. Definitely an order."

Uhura shook her head and Spock looked confused between Uhura and the two men stepping up onto the platform hand in hand. "I do not understand. Why does the doctor need to hold your hand, Captain?"

"I'm scared, Spock. It's an emotion. God, brush up on your human once in awhile. That is an order." He was trying to joke, if just to make himself feel better.

"What would you have to fear?"

"Spock," Uhura said, leaning closer to Spock. "They are concerned they will not end up where our course is set to take them."

Over the last few years, Uhura had been fortunate enough to learn how to speak to Spock in a way that he understood. She had hoped early on in their relationship that the opposite would be true, and he would come to understand her better, and the people around him, but he was still pretty clueless when it came to people and civilizations that were not the ways of his beloved Vulcan.

Spock nodded, understanding a little more the concern, but not the need to hold hands. That bit of humanity was lost with him. Kirk nodded to the transporter engineer and they were transported down to the planet surface. Arriving on the planet, the crew was shocked to find that things seemed peaceful. The way these people went to war was far more civilized than any people any of them had ever known. They really put the people of Earth's past to shame. Their war consisted of intense debate. Voices were raised, but there were no weapons anywhere to be found. In short, the Enterprise away team were confounded.

After meeting with the leaders of the two factions, they each invited the four of them to spend some time in the capital city of Angel Dark. They were each given clothing to fit in better among the locals and money to spend in the shops. Nothing was required in return for these items. They were already there to help them. That was enough for the leaders of each of the factions. There was so much more they could do for these Starfleet officers here to negotiate their peace treaty for them.

Uhura and Spock went off on their own while Bones and Kirk went together as well. They watched the people of the town, realizing that men were holding hands, women were holding hands, it didn't seem to matter what the genders were in each of the couples they saw. No one seemed to care one way or the other. They were glad to be able to hold hands in public, off their ship, and not have to worry about people watching them, giving them looks.

They had vacationed together on Earth while they were at the academy together, visiting Mexico when they had time off from the academy. (This city, if you could call it that, reminded them of the Baja Peninsula.) They had never been able to hold hands there though. Word would get back to Starfleet and neither one of them had been ready for that at the time. Now, it had just sort of happened.

"I want to buy you something," Kirk said as they passed the many lines of vendors trying to sell their items. He was intrigued to think that this was their highest grossing form of commerce. They were highly advanced in engineering, anything technical, but when it came to their major source of income, it was these tiny bartering shops.

"You don't have to buy me anything, Jim."

"I want to." Kirk pulled Bones over to a vendor with lots of different knickknacks, all that were particularly indigenous to the planet they were on. "I want to get something that when you look at it or use it, you'll be reminded that it was our first trip together where we could actually be together and not hide that we were actually together."

"You're such a sap." But truth be told, Bones loved that about him.

Kirk searched through all the different items the shop had to offer. Then he found one. It was perfect. Pointing at it, he told the shopkeeper it was what he wanted, thankful Jasparans understood Federation Standard. The vendor lifted the item from the stand and handed it to him, telling him the price. The leaders of the factions had explained to the four of them what their currency was worth and how to spend it.

"It's a good omen," the shopkeeper told the two of them. "Bring tranquility and happiness to he who wears it."

Kirk looked at the necklace. He had no idea what the charm was, perhaps some ancient God the Jasparans worshipped, but he liked the sound of it being a good omen. Smiling, he paid the shopkeeper. Walking away from the shop with the trinket, they stopped a short distance away and Kirk looked up at Bones.

"Can I put it on you?" Kirk noticed a light blush to pash Bones' cheeks. If he hadn't been paying close attention, he would have missed it.

"Jim..." He looked around, still not used to this level of open intimacy.

"Please, Bones."

Nodding his head, he turned with his back to Jim, his eyes rolling slightly, even if he was secretly enjoying it. Bones did love this man more than he'd ever loved anyone. There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for him, no matter how sappy..

"There, now I've ensured your peace and happiness. I've done my good lover deed for the day."

"You're the king of sap." Shaking his head, Bones turned back to face Jim. "I may not already have peace with you, but you already bring me happiness."

Kirk shook his head at Bones. "Who's being the king of sappiness now?"

Bones shook his head, leaning down and closing the distance between the two of them and kissing Jim's lips fully. Jim did make him happy. He may not have any tranquility since he met him, but that's not what their relationship was about. Bones loved every part bit that made up Jim. He wasn't about to sacrifice any of that for any slice of peace he could have. He was just happy to have Jim in his life and he wasn't ever going to let him go.


	9. Dinner With Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DAY 9 - Hanging Out With Friends- For Day 10, Uhura suggests dinner at the Captain's table.  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The four of them transported back to the Enterprise, Bones and Kirk were holding hands once again. Spock still did not understand the need for them to do this, but this time he did not question, even if he did linger for a moment, watching the two of them step down off the platform ahead of him.

"Spock?"

Turning his head to Uhura quickly, he realized she was waiting for him. She was holding her hand out to him. Looking down at it, he wondered what her meaning for the gesture was.

"Oh, come on, Spock! Just take my hand!"

He narrowed his eyes on her but then slid his hand into hers. Shaking her head, she walked with him out of the transporter room. The captain and Dr. McCoy were headed toward the turbolift. They caught up to them when they were entering the lift.

"Deck 5," Kirk instructed the lift as the doors closed. The lift started to move and Kirk looked over at his other crew members. "I think the day went well."

"It is too early to infer anything, Captain."

Rolling his eyes, Kirk differed. "The fact that they want to negotiate at all is a good sign, Spock."

Spock did not agree, but there was no use in arguing. Even if Spock had logic to back his reasoning, Kirk was relentless and never backed down when he was sure he was right.

"Why don't we have dinner together?" Uhura suggested, cutting into the conversation.

Kirk smiled at Uhura for suggesting something so simple. "We should at least invite Mr. Scott and Checkov."

Uhura turned her head slightly, leaning it forward. "Are they...?

Kirk lifted an eyebrow high above his eye. "It is not my place to discuss the relationships of my crew members."

Uhura took that to mean yes. "I'll invite them. Separate invites then, Captain?"

Kirk nodded. "That would be best."

Until Checkov and Mr. Scott were willing to come out about their relationship, he did not believe anyone should refer to them as being a couple. Besides, not only did they have the issue of being another openly gay couple aboard the Enterprise, Mr. Scott was almost 20 years older than the kid. It would be more of an issue.

The turbolift doors opened and Kirk and Bones stepped out. "What time is dinner?"

"2000 hours? I'll have Denton set up your table?"

Kirk nodded. "Great! See you two then."

A few short hours later, Kirk and Bones entered the senior officer's dining room. Uhura and Spock were already seated at the captain's table with Scott and Checkov. Kirk smiled at Bones and headed over to the table with him. Everyone stood as they approached, and Bones shook his head.

"You don't have to do that. We're just having a simple dinner. I'm just Jim tonight."

But to anyone except Bones, he wouldn't ever be just Jim. He'd always tell them to call him Jim when he wasn't on duty, but for the most part, none of them had been able to get the hang of it. When he had first suggested it to Spock, the vacant expression on his face was enough to make Jim choke on his own tongue. " _I cannot do that, Captain. It would not be appropriate."_ Kirk never gave up though. " _Don't you call your Vulcan friends by their names?" "Vulcan's only have one name, Captain. I refer to them with the name they are given at their birth." "That's my point, Spock! Jim is my_ given _name!"_ The request was futile.

The two of them sat at the table and Denton came out to take all of their orders. He always cooked rather quickly, especially when the captain was in the dining room. Kirk never heard any complaints of Denton's performance, and everyone loved his food. He had amazing culinary skills, best on the ship.

Uhura sat back watching the men who had become her friends over the last few years. She never would have suspected that any of them liked men, but as she sat there with them, she couldn't think of anyone better for the two couples to be with. Scotty was older than Pavel, and he was very protective of him. It was almost a father/son type relationship, people could see it as such, but she could see it wasn't anything like that.

Scotty really loved the younger man sitting beside him, and he treated him with so much love. He didn't treat him like a kid or anything like that. He was his equal in every way. And he respected him and his opinions more than anyone. Everyone on the ship always let his age precede him. Scotty did not. Pavel loved being treated as an equal, and their relationship just seemed to work in Uhura's eyes.

Kirk and McCoy on the other hand, even though she could see how their relationship worked, they were still an odd pair. McCoy was a grumpy coot, and Kirk was a goof off, but for some reason, they seemed to complement each other and make the other a better a person. Kirk made McCoy's gruff lines come off smoother, and McCoy toned down Kirk's antics. It worked, more than she thought it did before sitting down to dinner with the two of them.

All in all, it was a very eye-opening night, not just for her, but for Spock as well, but Spock had even attempted to call Kirk "Jim."

"I look forward to our continued negotiations on the plant, Jim."

Kirk's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "Mr. Spock! Did you just call me Jim?"

"It was an attempt to … _fit in_ with the rest of you," Mr. Spock said, attempting to speak like the rest of them as well.

Kirk clapped the pointy-eared alien on the back. "I'm very proud of you, Mr. Spock! You'll get the hang of it! I assure you."

He smiled at him, and headed out of the dining room with Bones to return to their quarters. They all needed to get their rest before sitting in on negotiations started tomorrow.


	10. Anything For You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DAY 10 - With animal ears- Bones waits anxiously for Jim to return to the ship.  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They had been transporting back and forth between the planet during the day and returning to the Enterprise in the evenings. It didn't matter how many times Bones and Kirk used the transporter, they were still afraid something awful was going to happen. After what happened to them nearly a month ago, plus Admiral Archer's beagle Porthos being missing for several years and then returning with Bones on his trip back from the Enterprise D was enough to make neither of them want to do it. But it made more sense than taking a shuttle back and forth daily.

They had considered finding a room on the planet, but Kirk didn't think that was a wise idea. With their ship orbiting the planet, the inhabitants of the planet would find it weird of them to be staying there. So, they suffered through the transporter at least two times a day.

After three or four days there, they had another brief moment of time where the leaders of the factions invited them to spend more time on their planet exploring. They didn't restrict the invitation to only the four members of the crew who had been coming down for the peace talks. Their invitation was extended to the entire crew of the Enterprise. Kirk had communicated with the crew from the surface, telling all officers they were welcome to take leave at their leisure when not on duty.

Kirk and Bones had taken the opportunity to take a walk along the river just outside the capital city. They enjoyed the peaceful nature of the place. Iowa wasn't nearly as lush as this. Their streams were bordered by rocks and dirt, not grassy banks and lush trees on the other side like this. The birds sang harmoniously in the skies. Other animals played and frolicked in the meadow. Goldfish-like danced and jumped in the stream like Earth's dolphins. It was all quite peaceful and serene.

When it was time to return to the ship, Kirk said he needed to do something before they returned. Bones had given him a look, one to question and one to say "hey, you can't make me go back by myself." (He still felt the need to hold Jim's hand, but he wasn't going to say that out loud.)

Spock had been the only one to object verbally. "Captain, I do not need to remind you of protocol."

Kirk shook his head. "No, you don't, Spock. I'll see you all back at the ship."

The reply left Spock wondering what he had missed in that exchange. As many times as he found himself in this position, he still wondered how he got there. Was Jim Kirk really that complex of a character that he would leave a Vulcan baffled? Kirk gave Bones one more look before talking into his communicator and telling them to beam the others and he'd be in touch when he was ready to return to the ship.

Bones stepped off the transporter pad, a little upset with how cavalier Jim was with his life, with his safety, but he never seemed to care. It drove Bones crazy, thinking about what Jim was doing while he was out doing God knows what. When he had been on the Nerada, when he had gone down to Qo'nos, anytime he had deliberately gone against Starfleet regulations and left Bones behind wondering if he'd come back in one piece or if he'd have to bring him back to life like he had when they had gone up against Kahn, Bones sat behind, a nervous wreck. He wasn't God, but he would still move heaven and Earth to keep Jim alive, and if needs be, resurrect him again.

Bones hadn't even been able to eat after getting back to the Enterprise. How was he supposed to when he had no idea what Jim was doing down on the planet and he had no idea when he'd get back? If he ate at all, he'd wait for Jim to return and they could have dinner together. Bones couldn't help but think the man he loved was going to get himself hurt or worse. Because even though the leaders of the two factions of Jaspara wanted peace, and just because they _appeared_ to not be a violent people in the way the Enterprise crew were used to, that did not mean that everyone on the planet was that docile. It would be just like Jim to be taken by someone who didn't want peace and used either to start the wars up again, or killed to prove a point: that peace would not happen.

So many different scenarios played out in Bones head, enough to make him seriously consider beaming back down to the planet and searching him out himself. The planet wasn't that large of a planet, but that didn't mean he'd be able to find him, even with the help of the ship's location detector. He instead paced the floor of the captain's quarters, waiting for Jim to return.

The door whooshed open and Bones turned to see Jim standing there. Kirk hadn't expected to come home and see Bones wearing a trench in the floor of their quarters.

"Bones?"

Bones was about to berate him for making him worry like had, but something furry on top of Jim's head gave him pause. "Jim, what the hell is on your head?"

Kirk walked into the room, the door whooshing shut behind him. "Ears. Like?"

Bones shook his head, rocking back and forth on his heels. His arms had been crossed over his chest for quite a while now. "Why do you have ears on your head?"

Jim smiled brightly. "I want an Jasparan _dog._ "

Bones narrowed his eyes on him. "What do you mean?"

"I saw this dog while we were out earlier, and I wanted him, or one like him. I went to talk to Jess and she said that the only way they would consider one of their animals leaving with us, especially a wild animal, when we go, is for my crew to join in with them in one of their rituals. We're required to dress up!"

Jess was one of the leaders of the factions. She was the nicer of the leaders, and definitely the one who would be the peacekeeper when they were gone. She had told Kirk that even the wild animals are theirs and they would have to know the importance of the love and devotion required for a Jasparan animal. She had sent the ears with Kirk to show his crew what was ahead of them. Kirk was too excited.

"What do you mean dress up?"

"Animal costumes!" It wasn't how Jess had described it to Kirk, but it was what he had understood. "We'll take part in one of their rituals, and then we'll have a dog!"

" _We_?" Bones wasn't sure what Jim was getting at.

Jim's eyes turned doe-eyed at Bones. "Can we have a dog, Bones? Please?"

Bones shook his head. He hadn't had a dog since he was a kid and it had died horribly. Bones swore he'd never have another pet as long as he lived. Yet, here Jim was asking if _they_ could have a pet together. Bones had completely forgotten about how upset he had been with Jim. He was grateful he was back onboard. Shifting the direction his head was moving, he nodded, agreeing with Jim's request.

"We can have a dog."

" _ **Yes,**_ Bones! Thank you!" Kirk wrapped his arms around Bones' neck, hugging him tightly to him. "I love you, Bones! I love you!"

Bones knew what it meant to say yes to him having a dog. He wasn't looking forward to dressing up anymore, but if it meant making Jim happy and getting him a dog, he'd do thatfor him. He'd do anything for him.


	11. Meeting Jones McKirk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 11 - Wearing kigurumis- Kirk and his crew participate in a Jasparan ritual.  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I don't know how I keep letting you talk me into things like this."

Kirk looked over at Bones who was dressed in an outfit to represent a dog with attentive ears and Kirk thought it was awesome, considering he looked like the dog he had seen in the meadow. He smiled, walking over to Bones.

"You look cute."

"That's not a word a man usually wants to hear, Jim."

Kirk arched an eyebrow. "Not even if its from his gushing boyfriend?"

Bones narrowed his eyes on Jim for a moment before shaking his head and slightly laughing. "Not even then."

Kirk moved closer to Bones, his mouth inches away from his costume covered ears. "Just wait till we're alone in the bedroom tonight. I'll drive you wild with it."

Bones shifted slightly. "That's a time _especially_ that I don't want to be called cute."

Kirk laughed, shaking his head. "Come on, Bones. Lets go get that puppy!"

Jess had told him that this particular dog, or Koerh as they called them, would make the best of spirit companions. They didn't use the word pet on Jaspara, but spirit companion made enough sense. (Pet was just a more simple Earth term.) She told Kirk that even though this animal had been born in the meadows of Jaspara, he would be able to adapt to being domesticated rather easily. They shouldn't have a problem with him, not that Kirk ever shied away from a challenge.

Walking out into the grand ballroom area of the capital city's main hall, they found a pair of "animals" standing apart from the festivities. Kirk smirked to himself and walked over toward them with Bones at his side.

"Spock. Uhura."

They turned to face the captain and the doctor. Uhura was dressed in a purple unicorn-type outfit. The animal had the body of a horse, but the head, even though the face was not covered, Kirk knew was more like a lion, and it had a horn on the middle of it's forehead. They had seen this creature when they had been in the meadow. (Bones was grateful Jim hadn't wanted to take one of them home.) This land was so mysteriously mythical, but yet so like middle-Earth as well, lots of odd combinations. The costumes themselves weren't fluffy or hairy or anything of the sort, but rather a simple polymer blend in the colors and features of the animals they were representing.

Spock was dressed in a white and black bear outfit that was quite reminiscent of a panda bear, but it's characteristics were more like an Australian koala. Both Kirk and Bones had to stifle a laugh. Spock looked a little irritated at the costume. They were all quite comfortable, breathable, but Kirk was sure it had more to do with the idea of dressing up that Spock had an issue with. When Kirk had made his senior officers dress up as the Avengers from Bones' comic book, he hadn't had to dress up. This was completely different.

"I do not see the logical reasoning behind dressing up as animals, Captain."

"It's all in good fun, Spock!"

Kirk hadn't told either of them, or anyone else on the ship outside of Bones, that they would be bringing back a Koerh with them. It was going to be his and Bones dog. He wasn't sure they would be as willing to take part in the ritual knowing the reason behind it. Kirk had simply said it was to become acquainted with their customs. If they knew they had to do this as a hoop Kirk had to jump through to take an animal home with him, they would have been more averse to joining in.

"I do not understand the need to have fun all the time."

"Spock," Uhura said, taking her lover's hand. "Let's just enjoy ourselves."

Spock was sure he did not know how he was supposed to do that _pretending_ to be something he was not, an animal. Uhura shook her head and rolled her eyes, nodding to the captain and the doctor before heading with Spock over toward the Jasparans.

Kirk turned to look at Bones, smiling at him. "I just wanted to tell you I am really happy you're doing this for me. I was never allowed to have a dog when I was growing up. I can't tell you how happy you've made me."

Bones hadn't known that about Kirk, not that it was ever brought up, but he knew Kirk liked animals. It was quite a shock to hear that he'd never had one. He let his head nod slightly. "You're welcome, Jim."

"Come on!"

Kirk placed his hand on Bones' back and led them into the throng of people assembled for the Spirit Companion Ritual. Jess saw Kirk and made her way over to him.

"James Tiberius Kirk," she greeted him like a close friend if not family member, even using his full name, hugging him warmly. "The ceremony can begin. The Koerh you have chosen knows of your intentions and is anxiously awaiting the moment of your meeting."

Even though she spoke so formally, Kirk still understood her in a way he'd understand anyone using small talk with. There was a way about the Jasparan's that was unlike anything he'd ever known before. They were a very proper people, but they made you feel comfortable with even just a glance. Talking to them made you feel a part of them. He really had to wonder how they could even be in a civil war. Their idea of war and the one he'd grown up with were polar opposites. If only more races were more like this...

Kirk looked at Bones who gave him a reassuring nod and he followed Jess toward the center of the hall.

"My fellow Jasparans! Our new and beloved friends have come to join in our festivities today to learn of our customs and to take part in them. Captain James Tiberius Kirk has chosen to bond with one of our Koerh's. Bring in the spirit companion for the ritual!"

Women dressed in what looked like ancient Egyptian clothing to Kirk and his crew made their way into the center of the hall carrying a raised platform covered in the grass from the meadow as though the platform itself was cut out from the ground. The bottom of the platform looked as though it was made from the clouds of the sky. The women slowly lowered the platform to the ground where Kirk could see the dog he had seen in the meadow laying in the long threads of grass around him.

The Koerh lifted his head when he saw Kirk and stood from where he laid, walking off of the platform and over toward Kirk. Kirk smiled, kneeling down in front of the beautiful animal. He himself was dressed to represent the animal standing in front of him just like Bones was. It had been chosen specifically for the purpose of the bonding. Kirk had an odd feeling that the dog would know him without the outfit, but he wouldn't have argued with Jess for the life of him. He already loves dog.

_Koerh._

Kirk blinked. Had he really just heard this dog speak? He looked around. Everyone else was bowing their heads in silence. Even his crew were bowing their heads as well. Everyone except for Bones. He seemed to be as confounded as Kirk was. Kirk looked back at the dog. No one else seemed to hear him. His mouth wasn't even moving.

_I am a Koerh, Jim._

Kirk shook his head. How in the world was he hearing him?

_We are connected, Jim. I am your Spirit Companion._

Kirk's eyes widened, but then his face relaxed and he smiled brightly. This had to be one of the most amazing things that had ever happened to him in his entire life.

_My name is now Jones McKirk._

Kirk couldn't help but smile at the name, looking over at Bones who looked to be chuckling to himself. Kirk looked back at McKirk.

_I know am to be Spirit Companion to both of you. That is why only the two of you can hear me. You can speak to me, if you wish. As can your beloved partner, Leonard._

Kirk remained speechless but turned his head to Bones who uneasily took a step forward.

_Kneel, Dr. Bones._

Bones knelt beside Jim, not taking his eyes off Jones McKirk. "How is this even possible?"

_I am connected to you two. Since yesterday when we saw each other in the meadow. I am named for the two of you, in a way that bonds the three of us together for life and beyond._

"This is really weird, Jones," Kirk said silently to the dog.

_Yet you are already comfortable with it, despite what you know of animals and humans. This would not be possible between your Earthly animals. Their mental capacities cannot handle the connection._

Kirk smiled. "I'm not sure mine can."

_It can, or we would not be connected. Just the way you two are connected._

Kirk looked to Bones, eyes wide, a huge smile on his face. "Hear that, Bones. We're connected."

In a way, they were sure they heard Jones McKirk laugh as he walked over to them and stood between the two of them. Both of them understood they were to hug him, and they did, not feeling awkward or weirded out by it at all. The three of them were one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> A/N: I know the name is corny as hell, but I like it. Please leave your thoughts in comments, even if you think it's the dumbest thing anyone has come up with ever. I like the name and that's what it will be!


	12. Taking a Break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 12 - Making out- Peace talks on Jaspara take a break for the day.  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Peace talks on the planet took a break the next day. They had to go to church. There was one day every three turns (or months in Earth's time) where everything on the planet shuts down and they go to a sort of Mass. Even amidst the rebellion, they still came together, even in separate parts of the planet, to pay tribute to - as the crew of the Enterprise understood it - the land, or Mother Nature in a way. They didn't worship one "God" per se, but just the world around them.

The four crew members who had been going planetside had decided to return to duty as usual instead of taking the day off. It wasn't as though they weren't welcomed to join in the Jasparan's day of worship, some of the other crew members even chose to go down and observe, but the four chose to take the day off as well. But they hadn't taken the day off. They returned to their duties aboard the ship as usual.

Spock had the bridge and Kirk was visiting people on the ship. It was his day to check on the crew's morale. Having been gone for several days, it was time for the captain to get reacquainted with his crew. He stopped in engineering first where Scotty and Checkov were in a very intimate conversation about the warp core and Scott's love of the ship. To anyone around them, they would merely see it as a very intense interchange between two very passionate engineers. Passion was the keyword in this situation.

"Scotty! Checkov!"

The two engineers looked up at their captain.

"Captain! How's Jones McKirk adjustin t' th'Enterprise?"

Kirk nodded. "Very well, Mr. Scott. Thank you!"

"I vould like a pet some day!"

"Wait till we get off th' ship, Pavel. We donnae need more than one animal runnin' loose on th' ship."

"Jonesey isn't running around loose, Scotty," Kirk laughed.

"You jus' wait! He'll learna how t' open th' door t' your quarters, then all hell will a break lose."

Kirk shook his head, laughing slightly. "I don't believe that will be happening anytime soon, but thank you for your concern."

He was sure Jones McKirk already knew how to open the door, but he was too good of a pet to do something like that. He was a whole lot more like Bones than he was like Kirk, but even in the few short days they'd had him, Bones had already said he was a lot like him. Kirk couldn't see it, but Bones always saw things Kirk didn't, and vice versa. That's one of the reasons why they worked so well together.

"I'll leave you two your _work_ ," Kirk said, winking at the two of them.

Scotty rolled his eyes and Checkov's cheeks blushed brightly. He knew that no one aside from the captain, the doctor, Mr. Spock and Miss Nyota even knew about him and Monty, as Pavel called Mr. Scott, but that was enough to embarrass him. He knew that none of them would tell anyone, but that didn't mean he wasn't still nervous. He wasn't ready to be open like his captain and the doctor. Scotty on the other hand wouldn't mind, but he was patient with his young lover.

Once he was sure he'd visited everyone, he stopped back by his quarters. Jones McKirk laid on the couch, lifting his head when Kirk walked in.

_Good day, Jim?_

"Very good, Jonesey. Yourself?"

_Bones and I had a long talk before he had to go to work, and I have just awaken from a nap._

"Well, don't work so hard, buddy! You might wear yourself out."

_Hilarious, Jim._

Kirk laughed. "I thought so." He walked over to the computer panel. "Computer, how long until the end of Dr. McCoy's shift?"

"McCoy's shift ends in two hours and seven minutes, sir."

Sighing, Kirk turned back to look at Jones.

_You could always go visit him, Jim. You have visited everyone else today._

Kirk nodded. "I have, but Bones is such a cranky puss. He'd rather I wait."

_Surprise him. He'll like it._

Kirk regarded the Koerh for a moment and decided Jones McKirk was right. "Thank you, Jonesey. I'll see you later."

_Have fun, Jim!_

Kirk left his quarters, heading down the corridors toward the medbay. It was actually a good idea, Kirk thought to himself on the way, that Bones moved into his quarters, he was now on the same deck as the medbay. It made sense, despite Kirk wanting him closer. He entered medical and looked around the doctors and other nurses were busy with patients, but Kirk could see Bones in his office going over a medtab on his desk.

"For someone who doesn't like technology, you sure do a lot of your work on those things."

Bones looked up to Jim, shaking his head. "When there's not an abundance of old-fashioned paper, it's the only option I have."

Kirk hadn't come down here to discuss Bones working habits, and they both knew that. That's why Bones had placed the tablet down on the desk, waiting to see what Jim had stopped by for. Kirk pushed a button on the panel beside the door and it whooshed shut behind him. Turning back to face Bones, he gave him a slow smirk.

"I need medical attention, Doctor."

Bones rolled his eyes, shaking his head. He should have known this was going to happen sooner or later. He had actually joked around about it when they were in the academy together. Now, he was actually here, on their ship, doing it. "This is not the time for this, Jim."

"Come on," Kirk coaxed. "I'm bored."

"That's no reason to come in here and disturb me when I'm working for your own personal satisfaction."

"Our satisfaction, Bones. Not just mine. Kirk came up beside Bones and turned his chair to bring Bones face to face with him. "I'm ordering you to take a break."

Smirking, Kirk leaned over and pressed his lips to Bones', his hand sliding around the back of his head and lacing into his hair. Bones knew it was better than to argue with him. Plus, he was sure that it wouldn't do any good anyway. Giving in, Bones lifted his hand and wrapped it around Jim's neck, the other gripping at his hip and pulling him toward him. Smiling into their kiss, Kirk took that as an invitation to straddle his lap.

Bones leaned back in his chair and let his hands slide over Kirk's ass, pulling him more against him. This was all levels of wrong, but he realized he didn't care. He realized Jim could probably make him do anything he wanted by now. They had adopted a dog together, they dressed up both in the bedroom and out, he sure as hell could make out with him at his desk. He was sure he'd draw the line at making out on the bridge... It would never be cleared out in the first place, and Jim would never do so for his own personal pleasure.

Kirk wrapped his arms around Bones' neck, deepening their kiss. Bones smiled, sliding his hands up under Jim's shirt, rubbing at his tight back. Kirk pushed his hips against Bones' stomach, the movement causing Bones dick to grow in his pants under Jim's ass.

"Jim, we really shouldn't do this here," Bones weakly protested.

"Just a little bit, Bones. A preview of what awaits back in our quarters." Kirk pushed himself more against Bones. "My God, Bones! I want you."

Bones gripped Jim's hips again, pushing him down harder onto his dick. Even through his pants, it felt good to have Jim riding him. He'd only ever imagined this. He never thought Jim would actually come in here and basically demand he make out with him. Granted, Bones thought about a whole lot more transpiring between the two of them here in his office, but he had to leave that for his imagination. For now, they'd have to be satisfied with a brief make out session.

Kirk kissed him really hard, letting his tongue dip deeply into Bones' mouth, exploring it fully before slowly pulling back and looking into his eyes. They were glossed over with desire, and that was enough to make Kirk say fuck it and tell Bones to take him right now. He'd make it an order so Bones would follow through. Although, both of them knew that Kirk couldn't really give an order like that, but it would be enough to make Bones want it as badly as Kirk if he did. Honestly, Bones did want it as badly as Kirk, but he had to be the voice of reason here.

"Hurry home, baby. I've missed you all day."

Bones smiled. "Be there as soon as I can."

Kirk really wanted to stay there, wanted more than the feeling of Bones' hard dick beneath his ass. He wanted to feel it deep within that tightness. But he could wait. Kissing him one last time, not as deeply, but with as much passion as before, Kirk reluctantly pushed himself to a stand up off of Bones lap, giving him a wink and leaving the medbay.

Bones sat in his seat, shifting slightly Jesus, what he wouldn't have given to have been able to push Jim down onto the desk and have his way with him. Hell, even there on his lap would have been hot enough. Turning back to the desk, he picked up the medtab he had been working on, gripping it tightly. It was going to be a long two hours until his shift ended.


	13. Melt Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 13 - Eating ice cream- What Jim wouldn't give for a replicator tonight.  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Kirk laid in bed wrapped up in nothing but a tangle of his and Bones' arms and legs. He had a smile on his face that could light up the vast darkness of space outside the hull of their ship. There wasn't anything he liked more than spending time with Bones. He loved him more and more every day, and being able to be with him without worrying about anything was something that they were both very happy about.

Jones McKirk sat at the foot of the bed, seemingly oblivious to what his masters had just done. Seemingly, because both Kirk and Bones knew how connected they were to their spirit companion. They couldn't read his thoughts, but he could read theirs, so they knew he knew, but it wasn't as though it was something they dwelled on. It was just something that was. It was as though they were meant to find him. Kirk would go even so far as to say that's why they had come to Jaspara in the first place, despite their diplomatic mission there.

Kirk stretched slightly, looking up at Bones. "I'm hungry."

Bones let a short laugh escape his lips. "After what we just did, it would not surprise me."

"I'm thinking ice cream."

Shaking his head, Bones stretched beneath his lover. "If you insist."

Kirk turned over and pressed the comm panel on the wall beside the bed. "Briel, could you bring two bowls, two spoons and some ice cream to my quarters. I'm thinking... Neapolitan and mmmm," he looked back at Bones. "Rocky Road."

_"I'll bring it right up, Captain."_

Kirk tapped the panel again and turned back to Bones, smiling. "That is your favorite, isn't it?"

Bones nodded his head. "Sure is. I still can't believe you have Briel synthesising us up some ice cream."

"Well, if we had a replicator, I wouldn't have to ask Briel to bring us anything."

"Sure, I'm gonna magically snap my fingers," he did for dramatic purposes, "and one is going to appear on the wall."

"You know," Kirk furrowed his brow at him. "That's just short of being mean."

Bones shook his head again. "Like it could really happen."

"Doesn't mean I wouldn't like it to. I should look into it. Ask Starfleet if anyone is working on it."

"No, you shouldn't."

Kirk sat up,pulling his legs to his chest. "Why not?"

Bones rolled his eyes, sighing heavily and sitting up. "Because. Anything we do because of what we know of the future could seriously alter our future. It could keep the Enterprise D crew from existing."

Kirk rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Me asking a question is not going to cause 800 people's lives to cease to exist."

"How do you know it won't?"

Sighing, Kirk stood off the bed and walked over to the closet. "I don't know. I know we were only there a few days, but there are so many things from that time that I miss."

"Like Will Riker's dick in your ass?"

Kirk came out of the closet with a robe on so he could answer the door when Briel got there. His face was blank. Bones felt like he should retract that question, but a part of him really worried if he did. Riker had been the only other man Kirk had even been with, and as much as Bones hated it, he was a jealous man.

"I cannot believe you have to ask that question."

"I cannot believe you can't answer that question."

He kept his eyes fixed on the man sitting on his bed, the man he loved more than he ever thought it was possible to love someone. "I do not miss Will Riker's dick in my ass, thank you very much!" He shook his head, disbelieving Bones would even ask such a thing. "Look, I know how you've felt about all the women I've been with, but you've always known that you come first! WHY in God's name are you all of a sudden now so worried about someone who doesn't even exist in this time?"

"Oh, so are you saying, if he did exist, then I would have something to worry about?"

"Wha-" Kirk let out a heavy breath of hair. "That is not what I said at all! You seemed ok with it at the time!"

"Yeah, because I was sure we were going to DIE, remember? The least I could do was give you one moment of a fantasy that you never would have had otherwise."

"I can't believe this!" Kirk planted his hands on his hips. "If you didn't want another man's dick in my ass, you shouldn't have agreed to it!"

"I would have hoped that you would have never asked!"

Sighing, Kirk looked up at the ceiling. "I felt sorry for the man, alright?" Looking back down at Bones, he nodded his head. "His wife was dying, he knew it was only a matter of time before we were all dead. If I could go back in time, I'd change it."

"Yeah, well, unfortunately, you'd have to go forward in time, and neither of which is possible."

"Possible! If it isn't possible, then why in the hell are you getting mad at me for something that we couldn't have done because it wasn't possible to be there to do it?"

The door chirped and Kirk closed his eyes. "I'll get the ice cream."

Bones shook his head. "Don't bother!"

Kirk's eyes widened as Bones pushed himself from the bed and walked out to the living area. Kirk was sure he wasn't going to answer the door naked, and he was right. When he came into the room, he saw Bones getting dressed in his uniform from earlier.

"What are you doing?"

"I thought I'd spend the night back in my quarters. I don't feel like being here tonight."

"You've gotta be kidding me!"

"No, I don't believe I am."

Bones pulled his shirt on, walking to the door where it slid open to Briel, smile bright on his face. Bones shook his head, pushing past him. Kirk quickly came to the door next to a confused Briel.

"Bones!"

Bones continued walking away, down the corridor and toward the turbolift.

"Bones!"

Kirk knew it was futile to continue to yell down the hall. He knew this was going to be all over the ship by the morning. Shaking his head, he turned back to Briel and took the tray from him.

"Thank you, Briel. Good night."

The mess hall cook nodded his head. He felt bad, even though he had no idea what had gone on behind the door prior to his arrival, he felt bad. He wouldn't say anything about it though.

"Good night, sir."

Kirk stepped back into his quarters and let the door slide shut behind him. He'd sit and eat the ice cream by himself and thought about how badly he'd hurt Bones. He couldn't believe Bones had been holding onto that for so long and not let it out before now. He didn't feel bad for the reasons why he had let Will join them, but he did feel bad that it had hurt Bones, even if he had let it happen. He was upset about it, and that's what Kirk felt bad about.

He fell asleep on the couch in the living area, a bowl of ice cream melting on his lap. Hopefully when he woke up, everything with Bones would be alright and he wouldn't have to spend another night alone.


	14. Don't Hit Girls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 14 - Genderswapped- On day 14, something goes horribly wrong!  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spock asked Carol Marcus to take his place on the away team the following morning. When she had arrived in his place, both Uhura and Kirk were annoyed that he had made that decision without discussing it with them first.

"Would you like me to stay, Captain?" Carol asked, not moving more into the transporter room.

"That won't be necessary, Lieutenant," Kirk nodded, giving her a reassuring smile.

Bones took a [step](http://www.fanfiction.net/s/9335511/14/Go-Boldly) toward the door. "If Mr. Spock is going to stay, perhaps you will not mind if I stay as well."

Kirk looked over at him, his heart tight in his chest. It was the first thing Bones had said to him since last night. They had been waiting on Spock for five minutes (only for Marcus to show up) and Bones hadn't said a word, not to Kirk. He had made small talk with Uhura, but had basically pretended that Kirk wasn't even in the room. That made Kirk's heart ache.

"No, Dr. McCoy. We are running late as it is. You will accompany us as usual."

Kirk was sure it was only so he didn't have to spend the day with him after what had happened last night, but he wasn't going to let their personal relationship affect the crew or the mission. Bones nodded and followed the others up onto the transporter pads. He and Bones weren't holding hands. His heart literally was aching.

Kirk had excused Spock's absence with the Jasparan faction leaders and they accepted without question. They had been with them long enough now that the Jasparans trusted them and whoever they were to bring down with them. Kirk thanked them for being so gracious and they continued on with their peace talks.

Bones had felt utterly useless on the planet for the first time since they first beamed down. He wanted so much to go back to the ship, but he knew Jim wouldn't allow it. He wouldn't allow Bones to leave, and Bones was sure it had more to do with his personal reasons than anything else. Honestly, after their fight last night, he hadn't wanted a damned thing to do with the man he loved. He couldn't do anything but think about him and Commander Riker, a man who hadn't even been born yet in their time.

But he stayed. He had been the one to ask Jim to let him go with them down to the planet in the first place. When the day was finally over, the four decided to head back to the ship. Kirk looked over at Bones as he told the transporter operator to beam the four of them back up. Bones made the mistake of lifting his head up to look at Kirk. Kirk made to reach for Bones hand just as they were transporting up to the ship.

Bones looked down at his hand as they started to rematerialize. His brow knit together above his eyes when he saw the delicate hand taken by the other delicate, darker skinned hand. Looking back up at Uhura, he jumped back quickly.

"What the..." His eyes widened when he heard his voice. His usual gruff baritone was replaced with a more gentle, feminine tone. It still sounded a bit cranky, but it was definitely female.

"Lieutenant?" Kirk asked, finding his voice odd to his ears, sounding more like … Uhura? He lifted his hand, looking at it. Sure enough, his pale white skin was replaced by a darker, creamier lady skin. He turned quickly to where Uhura and Marcus should have been standing. Instead, what he saw was Bones and  _himself_. It was as though he was looking in a mirror, but he actually wasn't. He was looking at himself, but he wasn't in his own body.

"What...?" For once, Uhura was at a loss for words, especially when she heard the captain's voice come out of her mouth and not her own. Lifting her hands, she gripped at the shirt she was wearing, looking down and not finding the usual red uniform she was used to wearing. But she was wearing it. The her in front of her. She pulled at the shirt she was wearing. Command yellow.

"What are you doing with my body?" Leave it to Kirk to ask the smartass question.

"What happened here?" Lt. Marcus (who was in Bones' body) asked.

"That's what I'd like to know," Bones said in Lt. Marcus' voice, turning to glare at Mr. Scott who was actually standing at the transporter controls, stunned and confused. "What happened, Mr. Scott?" Bones was upset, and his words coming from Carol's voice was enough to frazzle him even more.

"I donae know what happened!" He didn't. He still wasn't sure he understood why they were all talking about being in each others bodies and what happened. They looked alright to him. He didn't understand why Uhura was yelling at the captain or why Lt. Marcus was yelling at him. He hadn't done anything wrong... Had he?

"Bones," Kirk said (in Uhura's voice), coming off the transporter towards him- her. "This isn't Scotty's fault." He didn't know whose fault it was actually.

"Oh, you're saying this is my fault?"

Scotty watched from the other side of the room, not even feeling like the barrier between them and him was enough to protect him from the time bomb waiting to explode in front of him. Why Uhura and Marcus were fighting and Uhura had called her Bones was beyond him.

"What? Why would this be your fault?"

"Because I didn't hold your hand!"

"That's enough!" Uhura barked at them, her words sounding a whole lot more formidable coming from Kirk's body and voice.

Everyone in the transporter room's eyes fell on her, wide and in shock, as she stepped down off the platform toward them.

"Until we figure out what's going on here, we don't need the two of your relationship problems making this any worse."

Kirk sighed, nodding his head. "Uhura is right. Let's just figure out what the hell is going on here and get it fixed." He said, letting his eyes trail down the body he had found himself in. Bones could tell exactly what he was thinking.

"Oh, Jesus! Now you're going to be touching Uhura's body! This is just wonderful!"

Uhura punched each of them. "No one is going to be touching anything! Now GO! Medical, NOW!"

Each of the guys in their new girl bodies rubbed at their arms.

"Damnit, Uhura! We're girls! You shouldn't hit us!"

"GO!"

Taking Bones by her hand, Kirk (in Uhura's body) walked with the three of them toward Medical. He wasn't sure that's where they'd find the answers, but it was the best place to start. Whatever happened, it had to get switched back and fast. They had duties to fulfill and a peace treaty to wrap up. They couldn't be doing so wearing each others skins.


	15. in Your Skin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 15 - In a different clothing style- Uhura brings the men some clothes to wear while they're women.  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After running several different scans on all four of the away team members, Bones and his staff determined everything was fine physically with them. Bones had been sure there was. This was not a medical problem, not completely. This was what happened when technology mixed with physiology. Just another reason why Bones hated technology. He had been right when he said that space was disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence. His next suggested course of action was to get Mr. Scott and his Russian protege to work on figuring out why things kept happening with the transporter, (specifically to him and Jim). They had to fix this, and now.

Despite their fight the night before, Bones came with Jim to his quarters. They were even holding hands. The delicate smoothness of  _their_  hands joined together was odd for both of them, to say the least. Kirk had been used to doing other things with the ladies, but holding hands wasn't one of them.

"I can't believe this keeps happening!"

"I don't know about you, Bones, but I've never been a chick before."

Bones rolled his eyes. "I'm talking about the transporter, Jim."

Kirk knew that. He just didn't want Bones worrying about something that couldn't be fixed this moment. "Scotty and Checkov are working on it. We'll be back to ourselves in no time."

"I won't hold my breath. And I'm never using that damned thing again!""

Kirk smirked. "What? Don't like my tits?" He lifted his hands, squeezing the body's breasts.

Bones eyes bugged out of his head. "Goddamnit, man! Stop feeling up Lt. Uhura!"

"Oh, you wanna give it a go?"

"No!" Bones turned to head toward the bedroom, hoping to go to sleep and the day all be just some horrible dream.

The chirp of the door stopped him. Walking over to the panel, Kirk opened the door to find himself standing there. They were seriously going to have to fix this. He could handle being in Uhura's body, (it was kinda of hot though) but staring at himself, knowing Uhura was inside his body was a little too weird for him.

"I thought you could use these."

Kirk looked down to see she was holding some of her uniforms as well as some off duty clothes. Kirk also noted some blue uniforms. She must have been bringing them from Lt. Marcus as well.

"Thank you, Lieutenant."

Kirk stepped back to let Uhura - in his body - [step](http://www.fanfiction.net/s/9335511/15/Go-Boldly) into the room. The taller form walked into the room and Kirk turned his head to watch  _his_  ass as Uhura walked.

"Do I always walk like that?"

Uhura turned around, looking at him. "Excuse me?"

"No, you don't. That's all Uhura," Bones assured him, looking the body of his lover up and down.

"Stop looking at me like that!" Uhura warned. "This is just as weird for me as it is for you two. Carol hasn't come out of her quarters."

Kirk stepped forward, placing a soft hand on  _his_  shoulder. "We will get through this, Uhura. I promise you."

She was silent for a moment before  _Kirk's_  voice confirmed her irritability. "I haven't even been to see Spock yet."

Kirk pursed his lips, trying his best to stifle a laugh. Suddenly, his head was filled with thoughts of Spock  _attempting_   _to_  kiss  _him_. But he understood Uhura's distress. He was still wondering how Bones was feeling on that level. Not that Bones hadn't ever been with women before, but this was Spock. Homosexuality was not something Vulcans took lightly. In reality, it was still Uhura he would be kissing, even if he'd be pressing his lips to Kirk's.

Kirk took Uhura's hand, holding it gently. Uhura seemed to relax at his touch. There was something familiar, even if it was odd that the captain was trying to console her, it was her hand and her voice trying to console her, not the captain's, whose body she had no idea how she was going to get out of.

"In Spock's way, you know he loves you. He'll be able to look past..." Kirk looked  _his_  body up and down, "this. Besides, truth be told, I  _know_  he's checked out my ass a few times."

Uhura punched him and Kirk jumped back, not getting the full force from  _his_  fist coming at him. "Watch it, Uhura! I'm in your body! Don't want to beat yourself up, now do you?"

Uhura sighed, shaking  _Kirk's_  head. "This is terrible, Captain! I just want my body back!"

"We all do," he assured her.

"Go talk to Mr. Pointy-Ears," Bones suggested. He and Spock may not see eye to eye, but he knew if this had happened to Jim and not both of them, he would want him to come to him. "I'm sure in his way, he is worried about you."

 _Kirk's_  face smiled softly,  _his_  shoulders slumped as Uhura agreed. "You're right. Thank you, Doctor." She smiled at him and then to  _herself_. "Thank you, Captain."

Kirk nodded, taking a step back so Uhura could leave. "Thanks for the clothes, Uhura."

She stopped at the door, turning back to face them for a moment. "Oh, I almost forgot." She slipped her hand in her pocket and pulled out a necklace. "Carol thought you might want this, Doctor."

Bones stepped forward, taking the necklace from  _Jim's_  hand. Smiling, he looked over at  _Uhura_. "It's the necklace y-" Clearing his throat, or rather  _Carol's_  throat, he turned back to  _Jim_. "Thank you, Uhura."

Uhura smiled, nodded shortly and turned to leave. The door slid shut and Bones turned back into the room.

"Would you care to put this on?"

The request came out so softly, Kirk had to take a moment to realize it was still Bones in this very feminine body. Smiling, he walked over to him and slid around behind him.

"Lift up your hair."

He couldn't help but snicker. Bones didn't have long hair, but in this body, in Carol's body, he had several things that he wasn't used to having. Even though Kirk wanted his own body back, he was going to make the most out of this. Leaning forward, he pressed his lips softly to Bones' shoulder, hearing a soft  _feminine_  sigh come from his lips.

"Bedtime, Bones? Uhura said she brought us something to wear to bed." He walked over to the stack of clothes left on the table in the sitting area. "Maybe she brought nightgowns."

"You're a dog, Jim. You really are."

Kirk smirked and lifted all the clothes from the table, heading into the bedroom. "Come on. This shouldn't be much different than all the other dressing up I make you do."

"Except now I'm in a dress!"

"Well, I can't wait to see you in a nightgown."

"Something tells me, you already have seen this body in a nightgown," Bones grumbled, coming into the room behind him.

Kirk looked back at Bones, nodding his head. "Yes, I have slept with Marcus, if that's what you're asking."

"This coming from the man who told me I wasn't allowed to flirt with her."

Kirk shook his head. "I knew you wouldn't, not really."

Sitting down on the bed, Bones lifted  _Carol's_  hand, taking  _Uhura's_  hand in his own. Kirk looked down at Bones, confusion in  _Uhura's_  eyes.

"I'm sorry about last night. I guess I shouldn't have let it bother me like it did. I love you, and I know where your heart is."

Kirk left the clothes where they were on the bed, turning to face Bones. He pulled up the skirt he was wearing slightly and turned to sit on Bones' lap, his knees on either side of him, straddling  _Carol's_  legs.

"I don't want to ruin this moment, but the way you're talking, mixed with Marcus' voice... Now you're the Queen of Sap."

"Jim..." Bones whispered, hoping his hushed tone would be less feminine. "I'm being serious here."

Kirk nodded his head. "I know, baby. I'm sorry." He let his head lean forward against the curl of blonde hair on his lover's new head. "I love you. I'm sorry I asked you to do something I should have known you wouldn't be comfortable with."

"It wasn't just that, Jim. I mean, it was. But I don't know why I let something bother me so much. You've been with countless women since we've been together, and I've not let that bother me."

Kirk smiled. "You just wanted to be my only man. And you are. I may have had another man's dick in my ass, but you're the only one, man or woman, who owns my heart." And, just because he couldn't help himself, he had to quip, "And now you're the only woman who's ever held my heart."

Shaking his head, Bones let his fingertips slide barely up under Uhura's skirt on his thighs. "Are you alright, baby?" He asked, his voice tender and very feminine. He wasn't caring.

"What do you mean?" Kirk pulled back, looking into the eyes in front of him. "Holy shit! You have one brown eye and one blue eye?"

"What?" Being locked in the moment he was having with Jim, Bones was thrown off course. "What are you talking about?"

Kirk had been with Marcus a few times, but he'd never noticed that she had one blue eye and one brown. "That is so weird."

"What are you talking about?"

Shaking  _his_  head, Kirk delicately cleared his throat. "Nothing. What were you saying?"

Deciding to let it go (he'd check it later), Bones asked what he meant to ask before Jim charted so far to the right. "You know, what Uhura was worried about, the green-blooded Vulcan not wanting her now that she's... well, you."

Kirk laughed, unable to hold back. "Honestly, I think this will be the hardest on him, sex aside."

Bones rolled  _his_  eyes. "That's all you ever think about."

"You like it."

Bones swallowed, not ready for this type of conversation and what it would lead to, not in these bodies. "Can we just find some of Uhura's and Lt. Marcus' pajamas or nightgowns or whatever it is they wear to sleep in and get some sleep."

Nodding  _his_  head, Kirk brushed  _his_  lips across  _Bones_ ' lips and slid off his lap, smoothing his skirt back into place. "Of course, we could just sleep naked."

"Jim..."

"Ok, ok." He started to sift through the clothes looking for something for each of them to wear. At least if they were going to be in these bodies, they'd have clothes that actually fit, they wouldn't have to wear their own uniforms. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself, thinking about Uhura and Carol trying to slide his and Bones' bodies into their dress uniforms. As much as it amused him, he wasn't going to ever suggest that to Bones once they do get their bodies back. Until then, Kirk didn't even feel the least bit uncomfortable in the skin he now wore, or the clothes for that matter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Half way through with the challenge! Still lots of fun to come! I hope you're still enjoying! I know I am!


	16. You Could Be Spock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 16 - During their morning ritual(s)- Bones attempts to get ready for the day, still in Lt. Marcus' body.  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bones opened his eyes the next morning, afraid to look down, to look over at Jim, to even move. He was afraid everything that happened last night with the transporter had actually happened and he was indeed in Carol Marcus' body. Hearing the soft rise and fall of the breathing next to him, accompanied by a gentle _feminine_ hum, he knew his fears were real. He was in Lt. Marcus' body and the body sleeping next to him was not Jim's body. Even if Jim was _somewhere_ inside _her_ , it was still Uhura's body sleeping next to him.

Grumbling, he slid out from under Uhura's body, leaving Jim to remain sleeping while he got up and got ready for the day. Walking into the adjoining the bedroom, he looked at _himself_ in the mirror. He really was stuck in her body. This wasn't some horrible dream. He _was_ Carol Marcus. This was horrible. Of all the things he'd worried about the transporter doing to him after going to the Enterprise D, this was not one of them. He never expected to find himself in someone else's body, let alone a woman's.

Jones McKirk came into the bathroom and jumped up on the counter, looking at Bones.

_It could be worse, Bones._

Bones looked at his spirit companion. "Really? How?"

_You could be dead. You could be some sort of species you have never even heard of. You could be Mr. Spock._

Bones couldn't help but laugh at that. Jones McKirk was developing a sense of humor being around Jim all the time. "You're right. I could be that pointy-eared bastard." Saying that and hearing Lt. Marcus' voice even made him chuckle a bit. "Tell me we're going to figure this out, Jones."

Jones let his head bow down in a simple nod. _You will figure this out, Bones. But why take my word when Jim has already told you?_

Turning his head down, the blond locks around _his_ face bounced around his head. "I believe he has faith it will, but …"

_You do believe him, Bones. I can feel it._

Bones smiled, looking back up at him. "I do, but that doesn't take my anxiety away."

_Do not expect it to. Your comfortability will come in time._

Nodding, Bones straightened up in front of the mirror, looking over at _himself._ "My God! Jim was right." Jones McKirk looked over at the mirror to look at _him_ as well. "She does have one brown and one blue!" Shaking his head, he looked back down at Jones. "I'm going to take my shower now."

Jones McKirk let his head bow slightly before jumping off the counter and leaving Bones alone again. Sighing, he pulled at the tank top Carol wore to bed before pulling off the short bottoms along with her tiny, lacy panties. Shaking his head, he stood back up, looking _his_ body over in the mirror. He hadn't seen a naked female body, out of medical, since he'd been married. Feeling weird about it, he shook his head and walked into the shower and turned on the water.

Standing there, he closed his eyes and tried to forget that he wasn't himself. Letting the water flow over him, he felt the long hair on _his_ head slick down over his slender neck. No matter how he tried, he couldn't forget he wasn't someone else. He just had to get through this. Maybe depending on Jim's optimism would help him. If Jim believed everything would be alright, then everything would be alright.

He washed _his_ hair and cleaned _his_ body. Even though he didn't want anything to do with fondling Lt. Marcus' breasts, he cleaned every inch of her body, including her pussy. He spent a little extra time there. His finger had slid between the lips and brushed up against the bud there already throbbing from his unintended caresses. Closing his eyes, he licked his lips and rubbed at it slightly. _Jesus_ , he thought roughly, _I shouldn't be doing this. This is Lt. Marcus' body. I shouldn't be fondling her like this._

But before he could stop himself, he was cumming and doing his best not to feel guilty about it. Finishing his shower, he stepped out and grabbed a towel to dry himself off. He found a clean pair of panties in the stack of clothes Uhura had brought last night as well as a clean bra and slid them on before pulling out a uniform dress to wear. They had duties to attend to today. As much as he wanted to wear some civies he found, a pair of pants and a shirt, he had to work, and couldn't or shouldn't do so out of uniform. Doing _his_ hair to the best of his abilities, he looked himself over in the mirror before leaving the bathroom to go wake Jim. They had just a little over an hour to head down to the planet.

Coming back into the bedroom, he saw Jim sleeping soundly. He could look past it being Uhura's body laying in the bed. He could _feel_ Jim there with him. He knew the difference. It was his lover laying in the bed even if he was in another person's body, a female body. It wasn't as though Bones had never been with a woman before, but things were different. Jerking off in the shower was proof evident of that. It was so much simpler to jerk off as a man, but he had figured out how to cum easily enough as a woman. He figured, he could do the same thing with Jim if they were in these bodies much longer. It wasn't as though he didn't have fingers and a mouth to fuck _her_ with.

"Oh, God! Now I'm thinking like you."

Jones McKirk lifted his head from the foot of the bed and Bones was sure he heard the Koerh chuckle. He narrowed his eyes on the animal and he laid his head back down on his paws. Shaking his head, Bones came around the side of the bed and leaned over, brushing _his_ lips over _Jim's_ forehead, brushing back the long brown hair. Kirk opened _his_ eyes and smiled up at Bones.

"I don't even have to see you to know how you kiss. The lips don't even have to be yours."

Releasing a short breath of hair, Bones smiled slightly down at him. "It's time to get up."

Shaking his head, he turned over on his back and held his arms up to Bones. "Come back to bed. Just for a moment."

"Jim, we have to head down to the planet."

"I just want to hold you, baby. Please."

Groaning, Bones smoothed his skirt down over _his_ ass and slid into _Jim's_ waiting arms. He rested his head on _Jim's_ chest, closing his eyes. This was going to take some getting used to, and hopefully it wouldn't take long before they were back in their normal bodies.

"It's not so bad, now is it?" Jim asked once Bones was settled.

"Just hold me, Jim. Help me forget how fucked up things are."

Kirk smiled, kissing the top of _Bones'_ head. "Yes, baby. Just relax. I've got you."

Bones rested there, _his_ arm resting gently over _Jim's_ slender stomach. It may not be what he was used to, but it was still Jim. He knew it. He felt it. He didn't have to worry about anything because he believed in Jim's faith. It was enough for him to know that this was only temporary. They would be back in their own bodies soon enough. For now, they'd just deal with things as they were and not worry about how things should be. Everything was going to be fine. It was only a matter of time.


	17. Just Be Yourself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 17- Spooning- Kirk does his best to comfort Carol and Uhura.  
> _______________________________________________________________________________________

After what had happened the day before, both Spock and Kirk had agreed that Carol take some time off. She wasn't adjusting as well as everyone else. Kirk had gone to check on her personally and found her curled up in a ball on the couch in her quarters. It had been hard for Kirk to see the body of his lover huddled into that small of a shape. He swore it wasn't much bigger than Lt. Marcus herself. He did his best to comfort her, assuring her that they would all be back to their usual selves in no time. She didn't believe him, but accepted the comfort anyway.

Down on the planet, Kirk thought it was best they not hide their unusual circumstances from the Jasparans. He figured if they were to hide it from them, Uhura pretending to be the captain, and the rest as the bodies they had been confined to because of the transporter malfunction, and Jess and the others were to find out, they would have sabotaged the talks and all they'd done till now would have been for naught.

Jess thanked the captain for his honesty, but confessed to him that she knew what had happened when they had arrived. She did not say how she knew, but she knew the captain was in the communication officer's body and vice versa and so forth. She expressed her concern for Lt. Marcus and Kirk graciously accepted it. Talks continued on as though nothing had happened. Kirk hadn't caught on until today that not only their spirit companions were telepathic, but they were as well. It was a little daunting, but at the same time it was comforting. He just wasn't used to people being so in tune with others, especially with him.

But then he realized that wasn't completely true. Even if the people he was closest with didn't have telepathic abilities, he knew he was still attached to most of them in one way or another. He had it with his senior officers. They worked together better than he had with anyone he'd ever known. And that was all because of Christopher Pike. He had it with him, also. Even in death, he could still feel the effect Pike had on his life. That wasn't about to fade, not even as the years continued on.

But the person Kirk was closest with was Bones. If their ability to both communicate with Jones McKirk wasn't enough, that he had chosen both of them and only the two of them could communicate with him wasn't enough of an example, this recent predicament they'd found themselves in showed him exactly how strong their connection was. He could see the tension between Spock and Uhura because she was in his body and felt sorry for her. He only wished Spock could feel as much at ease with Uhura as Kirk was with Bones in their switched bodies.

"Uhura, can I have a moment?" Kirk stopped her, turning to _Bones_. "I'll catch up with you in a moment." Kirk smiled at him and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

Bones was getting used to the change in actions and feel of Lt. Uhura instead of what he was used to with Jim, but it all felt the same, even if it was feminine. "Of course, Jim." He smiled and nodded his head. "Good night, Uhura."

She gave him a smile. Bones thought ruefully to himself, even though it was Jim's smile, it wasn't _Jim's_ smile. He saw Uhura in Jim's face and Jim in Uhura's face. He knew the difference and because of that, he was feeling more and more comfortable with their plight. He could get through it because even though they weren't in their own bodies, everything still _felt_ the same.

"Mr. Spock, could you give us a moment too?"

Spock's pointed brows knitted together in the middle of his forehead and he looked at _Uhura_... shaking his head to remind himself and to shake his confusion. Kirk was speaking to him, not his Nyota.

"I will see you in a few minutes?"

Uhura smiled at him from Kirk's face. "Yes, Spock. I will be there soon."

Nodding, Spock left the two of them alone in the corridor outside the transporter room. Inhaling deeply, Kirk looked up at Uhura.

"It's not getting any easier?"

Uhura shook _her_ head, turning head down dejectedly. "No. And I don't want to force _you_ on him. I just wish it was as easy for him to look past this as it has been for you and Dr. McCoy."

"Trust me, it's not as easy as it seems, Uhura. But," he took a deep breath, "if _you're_ worried about what I'm gonna think about what you do in my body," she shook his head, "don't. I'm ok with it."

Uhura's eyes widened on Jim's face. "What have you and Dr. McCoy been-" Holding up her hand, she shook her head. "Don't tell me. I don't want to know!"

Kirk snickered. "You can't expect me NOT to continue being myself, can you?"

Uhura shook her head, raising her eyes to the ceiling. "No..."

Kirk lifted his hand to place it on _Uhura's_ shoulder. "Look, would you like me to talk to Spock?"

Uhura quickly looked back at _Kirk._ "No! Oh, God, no!"

Nodding _his_ head and holding back a laugh, he let his tiny hand slide down _Uhura's_ arm. "You'll figure it out. And if you and Spock wanna," he let Uhura's eyebrows do his usual eyebrow dance above her eyes, "that's fine with me. I won't hold it against you."

"Of course not. I'm sure you and Dr. McCoy have already done everything you can possibly think of with my body!"

Kirk smirked. "Well... not _everything_."

Uhura giggled, shaking her head. "You're terrible!"

"Go on," Kirk encouraged her. "We can talk tomorrow."

She smiled and thanked him, heading off toward Spock's quarters. Kirk went off in the opposite direction toward his quarters.

Coming into the room, he found the lights were off. Sighing softly, he hoped that Bones hadn't decided to sleep in his quarters again tonight. "Bones?" he called out, hoping he was there.

"In here, Jim."

Jim smiled, walking into the bedroom where he saw Bones laying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. When he walked in the room, Bones turned his blonde head toward him and smiled.

"Everything ok with Lt. Uhura?"

Bones was already dressed for bed in Marcus' pajamas. Kirk smiled and unzipped Uhura's dress and slipped it off her body, leaving her in her bra and panties only before sliding into bed with his lover. Bones turned on his side and let Jim wrap his arms around him.

"She's fine. It's Spock who's not."

"So, you're saying he doesn't want your ass?"

Kirk chuckled. "You and I both know he does."

It was true. It was part of the reason why Bones and Spock didn't get along. But Bones knew where Kirk's heart was. He didn't have to worry about it. And after the conversation they had last night, he wasn't upset if Spock and _Uhura_ had sex while she was in Jim's body. Spock may be sticking his dick in Jim's ass, but it was just his body. Spock wasn't in Jim's heart like Bones was.

"We're ok, right?" Kirk asked, running his fingers through the blonde locks of hair on the head in front of him.

"Yes," _Bones'_ soft, feminine voice. "We're perfect."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so I've already got a one shot for Pavel and Scotty playing in my head that I might write when this is finished, but I want to know if you'd also like to see a one shot of Spock and Uhura. Post in comments if you'd like to see these one shots when I'm done with the challenge! I'm LOVING your comments! Keep them coming. They are like crack!


	18. To Explore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 18 - Doing something together- It's five year mission, to explore strange new... Oh, God! Please don't say we're going to be like this that long!  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who don't read smut, skip to the end to get the plot details.  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> Writing smut has been very difficult for me lately. I hope that this is ok. It may not be m/m loving, but in a way it is... even if they're in different bodies. Please don't flame me too badly on this!

"We're ok, right?" Kirk asked, running his fingers through the blonde locks of hair on the head in front of him.

"Yes," _Bones'_ soft, feminine voice replied. "We're perfect." Bones let _his_ perfectly manicured nails lightly scratch over _Jim's_ slender arm wrapped around him.

"Oh, God, Bones!"

"Like that?" Bones seductively wondered.

Kirk's growl came out like a lioness' purr, and Bones found that excited him."Yes, Bones. Oh, God... I want you, Bones."

Turning in Jim's arms, he looked at his lover. Even though he was clearly Uhura, he was still his Jim. He could see it. He could feel it. Lifting a tiny hand, he gripped at Uhura's breast covered only in a thin layer of silk and lace. Kirk gasped out, _his_ mouth dropping open in a soft "O" shape. Bones swallowed hard. He loved how he could always turn him on, even in other bodies, one touch got him going. He had never thought about fucking Uhura as long as he's known her, but right now he was about to. But it wasn't Uhura he was going to be making love to. It may be her body, but it was _his_ Jim. Even if he had a pussy and breasts, it was still Jim.

"Touch me," Uhura's voice pleaded with Bones.

He closed his eyes and let his hand slip between Jim's legs. Prior to meeting Jim, he'd never been with a man - and honestly had never wanted to- but now, after seven years of being with only him, Bones was used to reaching down there and grabbing his dick, only now his fingers brushing over the silky material of Uhura's panties was enough to remind him that Jim wasn't in his own body right now. It was a weird thing to think, but it had been so painfully obvious all day long.

Jim would be talking to Jess and Koch throughout the talks, and it hadn't been Jim's mouth moving or his voice. Instead, it had been Uhura's voice. Yet, he still talked like Jim. He did his best not to look at Uhura, it made him hurt less. He didn't know when they'd be able to switch back bodies, and knowing that his lover was stuck in another body was more difficult than himself being in Lt. Marcus' body. He didn't have to look at himself all the time.

"I need you," Kirk gasped, lifting his hips up to Bones' hand. "Damnit, Bones! I need you!" He moaned out, soft and feminine. "Badly!"

Bones couldn't believe he was about to do this. He hadn't been with a woman since he was married. Of course, he was sure it was like the proverbial "riding a bike," but it was still slightly odd to him. The way Jim was moving though, the way he was moaning, there wasn't any way he could hold back. He had to make love to him, even if he was going to be touching, tasting, and licking Uhura's body, he would still be making love to Jim, he had to keep reminding himself.

"Do you know how long it's been since I've been with a woman?" he asked him, slowly pulling down his panties. "I haven't been with anyone but you since we met."

Kirk pulled his legs from the flimsy piece of material. He felt like returning the sappiness, but he just couldn't. He was too damned turned on. Up until they had gone to the Enterprise D, he was used to having women touch him. But there was something different about this. This was girl touching girl. Even if it it was Bones touching him, it was still delicate fingers touching soft skin. It wasn't as though he'd never been with two women at once, but he'd never _been_ the other woman. This was something completely new.

"Awww, Bones. That's so sweet. Now just fuck me. Do you think Spock is holding back with my ass?"

Bones' grunt came out more like a predatory growl, and he jerked Kirk closer to him, pressing his soft yet demanding lips against Kirk's supple ones. Even though he had discussed with Jim earlier that he should talk to Uhura about helping Spock feel more comfortable about their situation, he didn't want to _talk_ about it right now. It wasn't as though Bones ever felt too bad for the green-blooded hobgoblin, but if he was going to be with his woman's body, the least he could do was not feel possessive about Jim's body.

Bones pulled Uhura's bra from the tiny body in his arms, but compared to the body he was in, it wasn't all that tiny. It was slightly smaller than Marcus' body, but not by much. Kirk pulled at the tank top of Carol's that Bones was wearing, leaning down and taking a nipple on one of the blonde's breasts into his mouth. Bones gasped out, Carol's soft voice filling the silence that had taken over the room.

"Jim," Carol's voice pleaded to him.

"I want to try something," Kirk suggested, pulling at the shorts and panties Bones was wearing.

"Damn, you're that horny?"

"Come here," Kirk said, pulling Carol's body on top of Uhura's. "Spread your legs to me."

"What are you doing, Jim?"

"Do you trust me?"

Carol's blonde locks bounced on her head as Bones nodded his head doing what Kirk asked. Kirk parted his legs as well, wrapping one of them over one of Bones' legs. He gripped lightly onto Bones' hip, pulling Carol's pussy down to Uhura's. The initial contact of the two cores coming together made both of them gasp out loud.

"Oh, God, Jesus, Bones!"

Kirk started moving his hips, moving against Bones. _No wonder girls like this_ , he thought to himself. This felt fucking way the clits rubbed up against each other was like tiny penises. It's the only way he could explain it to himself. God, what he wouldn't give for a replicator right now to make a sex toy, a double ended dildo, one side for him and the other for Bones. That would be the only thing that would make this any better.

"Oh, fuck, Jim! FUCK!"

"Yes, Bones. Oh, fuck, yessss, Bones!"

Kirk moved one of _his_ hands up to cup one of _Bones'_ breasts. He pinched at the nipple, causing Bones to scream out softly. They began moving their hips harder against each other, each of them moaning and gasping out, filling the room with soft, female sounds. It was enough to drive each of them crazy.

Bones closed his eyes, gripping onto _Jim's_ shoulders, pulling _his_ body against _him_ He felt as though he was literally imploding. He always heard people refer to cumming as exploding, hell, even when he came, he'd explain it that way but he felt as though everything centered down on that little bud between _his_ pussy lips and radiated from there. It was like a black hole imploding. It was like nothing he'd ever felt before. Not that cumming in his own body wasn't incredible, but feeling what a woman does, he almost envied them. (Not that he'd _ever_ want to be a woman forever, but he almost did from this feeling alone.)

Feeling Bones' buck harder against Kirk helped push him over the edge and he felt his world align. It was incredible. Chicks' orgasms were amazing. He held onto Bones and rode it as long as he could, grinding their pussies together harder and harder until each of them were finished cumming. Bones collapsed on top of Kirk, both of them breathing heavily.

"Oh, my God, Bones That was..."

"I know!"

"Women are the luckiest bitches ever!"

Bones shook his head, resting it down on _Jim's_ breasts, giggling softly. "Yes, they are."

Kirk laughed softly as well, pulling the covers up around the two of them. "I love you, Bones."

Bones smiled, licking his lips. "I love you, Jim."

Jones McKirk ran into the room and climbed up on the foot of the bed, relaxing there to fall asleep with his companions as they drifted off to sleep. He was happy to see that they weren't letting this situation come between them. He knew how they felt about their friends who had switched bodies with them and how they weren't coping with it as easily. He only wished he could help them. But he was Bones and Jim's spirit companion alone, and not anyone elses.

It wasn't long before Bones and Kirk were fast asleep, wrapped in each others would be another long day of living in women's bodies, but they had gotten through today. They could get through another. They didn't want to be like this forever, but they could handle it as long as they needed to. They could handle it because they were together and there's nothing they couldn't handle as long as they were.


	19. Day of Union

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 19 - In formal wear- Peace treaty is signed and the Enterprise crew is invited to join in the celebration.  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning, Kirk woke up feeling strong arms around him. He smiled, snuggling more into the secure warmth of them. But then his eyes opened wide. Sitting up quickly caused Bones to startle to consciousness.

"Jim, what the hell!" Then Bones' eyes widened as well, looking directly at Jim, smiling brightly. "We're back! But how-"

Kirk shook his head, a big grin on his face as well. "I have no idea."

_The event had run it's course._

They both looked at Jones McKirk.

_The two of you overcame the conflict together and managed to stay connected to each other through it all._

The two of them blinked at Jones McKirk and shook their heads. "Wait a minute," Bones grumbled, "are you telling me this was _your_ doing?"

_Not mine alone, but it was at my request._

"To who?" Kirk asked, more than obviously confused.

_I implored of Jaspara to help the two of you realize what you mean to each other._

"What does that mean? We know what we mean to each other."

"Jim." Bones spoke his name silently. "He's referring to our argument the other night..." Jim wasn't catching on. "About Riker."

Stark realization washed over Kirk's face. "Oh." He took Bones' hand in his own, smiling at him before turning to Jones McKirk. "Thank you."

Nodding, Jones McKirk laid his head back on his paws. _You are welcome._

Kirk looked back Bones, smiling at his lover. "Its good to see you again."

Bones smiled, pulling him forward to press his lips to Jim's, kissing him deeply.

A while later, Kirk stepped into the turbolift, coming up to face Spock. The look in Spock's eyes as the door shut had Kirk a bit confused. Before Kirk could say a word, Spock stepped forward and wrapped his hand around the back of Kirk's neck, pulling him closer so he could press his lips against his. It didn't take more than a second for Kirk to realize that Spock thought he was kissing Uhura. He didn't push him away. He wanted to hear with Spock had to say.

Pulling back from the kiss, Spock leaned his forehead against Kirk's. "You left so early, Nyota. I had to ensure your comfortability with last night."

It took everything Kirk had not to laugh. "Hmmm?"

"I would hope that you would spend tonight with me as well. I have made peace with this if you have."

"Oh, Jesus, Spock. I can't do this." Kirk stepped back, shaking his head and laughing. "I am glad you and Uhura worked things out with her being in my body, but she's back in her own body now. I'm myself."

The cognizance washed over Spock's face and he took an abrupt, forceful step back. "And you _allowed_ me to speak to you so intimately. You..." he swallowed hard, blinking repeatedly at him, "let me kiss you."

"I never knew you had so much passion, Spock."

Spock cocked his head slightly to the side, inhaling deeply with his eyes closed. "We will never speak of this again."

"Of course we won't." Kirk smirked, patting Spock on the shoulder as the turbolift door opened. "See you in the transporter room." He turned away from Spock, stepping out of the turbolift to head for Carol Marcus' room to check on her before he headed down to the planet leaving Spock standing in the turbolift dumbfounded.

Kirk entered the turbolift room with Carol at his side warranting questioning glances from everyone else in the room. "Carol will be joining us for the signing of the treaty. She was a part of the talks process, she'll be there for the signing."

No one questioned this as they stepped onto the transporter pads. "Energize, Scotty."

The two sides had finally come to an agreement, none of them having actually been there when the war began, neither could really say why they were fighting. That was reason enough to agree to end the centuries-old war. Kirk was glad they had come to an agreement so easily and the crew returned to the Enterprise to prepare for the celebration back on the planet later that evening. They would be celebrating the signing of the treaty and what would be called in years to come the Day of Union.

Kirk stepped out of the shower, seeing Bones standing in front of the full-length mirror just pulling on the jacket to his dress uniform. "Let me help you with that," he said, wrapping his towel around his waist before starting to help Bones fasten the jacket. Smiling at Bones, Kirk looked deep into his eyes. "I really am glad we're finally back in our own bodies."

"So am I." And Bones was. He couldn't be more grateful things were back the way they should be. Not that being a woman didn't make him look at things in a new and different way, he was glad to be back in his own skin and his own clothes.

"You always did look incredibly sexy in your dress uniform."

Bones shook his head, brushing off Jim's overture. "I'm just glad we're not wearing dresses anymore."

Smirking up at him, Kirk nodded. "Don't worry, I won't be asking you to wear one any time soon."

Chuckling, Bones nodded his head this time. "Thanks."

"Any time." Kirk smiled, finishing with the jacket. "I should tell you, Spock kissed me earlier today."

Bones eyebrow arched in odd questioning.

Kirk scrunched up his nose and mouth, shaking his head. "He didn't know we were ourselves again. He thought I was still Uhura."

Bones couldn't help but chuckle slightly. "Serves him right."

Kirk laughed, brushing his lips across Bones'. "I'm gonna get dressed."

The five crew members who had been involved with the talks transported down to the planet's surface for the last time for the Day of Union festivities. Both Jess and Koch greeted the team with warm hugs and a kiss for each side of their faces. They were truly grateful to the Enterprise crew and Starfleet for negotiating these talks. The two of them, who seemed to have formed a romantic relationship during the talks, were beside themselves with joy and elation, inviting Kirk and his team to join in with the festivities, to eat their food and dance and enjoy themselves.

Bones came up to Jim's, placing his hand on the small of his back and leaning his head over his shoulder, asking against his ear, "Dance with me?"

Kirk's eyes widened and he turned his head to make sure it was actually Bones who had asked him. Seeing it was no one else, Kirk nodded his head, beaming brightly and turning back to Carol. "Excuse me. I'm going to dance with my boyfriend."

She smiled, nodding her head and watched as Dr. McCoy whisked away the captain. She knew Bones had something up his sleeve, only because she had carried it around in her pocket the last few days. She hadn't known what it was, but she left it there, knowing if McCoy was carrying it around, it was important to him. She simply sat back and watched, hoping everything went alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahaha! Cliffhanger! I'm so mean! But I have to keep in the guidlines of the challenge! Of course, I could have left the little last bit out from Carol's head, but I just coulnd't. You excited now? EEEEK, I am! COMMENT, PEOPLE! It's my crack!


	20. Please, Gods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 20 - Dancing - Bones has had the ring for a while now, what will Jim say?  
> \-------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Dance with me?"

Kirk's eyes widened and he turned his head to make sure it was actually Bones who had asked him. Seeing it was no one else, Kirk nodded his head, beaming brightly and turning back to Carol. "Excuse me. I'm going to dance with my boyfriend."

Bones didn't wait for Marcus to respond before pulling Jim out onto the dance floor with him. He slipped his hand around Jim's waist and took his hand in his, curling his own arm to hold Jim's hand on his chest over his heart. Jim smiled up at him, adoring the attention, but it was only a matter of moments before Bones knew if their happiness would continue.

He'd spoken with Jones McKirk when he had come home with the band in his pocket from Angel Dark. The spirit companion had already known what Bones had and what he was going to ask, but he listened and let Bones get his [anxiety](http://www.fanfiction.net/s/9335511/20/Go-Boldly) off his chest. But the anxiety was still there. Jonesey had reassured him earlier today that he was doing the right thing and that Jim would say yes... Bones was still nervous.

He held Jim in his arms, unable to pull his eyes from Jim's gaze. He was pretty sure he was going to chicken out, but he was doing his best to hold fast and not bolt for the door. It's not as though he had anywhere to go. The team wasn't set to go back to the Enterprise for a few more hours, and even if he did run, he would only have to muster up the courage to do this again. This was what he wanted, and he wasn't going to back down. He couldn't back down.

"You did it, Jim."

Smiling, Kirk inquired. "What did I do, Bones?"

"You got two feuding factions to set their differences aside, even if they didn't know what those differences were, and brought a world together in peace. I'm proud of you."

"I didn't do much," Kirk confessed. "They already wanted it anyway."

"Yes, but if you hadn't been the one to negotiate these talks, it may not have happened yet, or even at all."

Kirk disagreed, but he wasn't going to argue with him. "So. Dancing, huh?"

Bones let his shoulders roll a slight shrug. "What can I say, I wanted to hold you in my arms and we won't be back to the Enterprise for a few hours at least."

"Awww, Bones. I love it when you are romantic with me."

"Then you're really going to love me tonight," he muttered, leaning in and brushing his lips across Jim's.

He was sure Jones McKirk was right. He was doing the right thing, but what he wasn't sure of is if Kirk would say yes. Back in the academy, in the brief time before they were really together, Bones had asked him if he ever saw himself settling down and getting married. Jim had told him he wasn't that kind of a guy. What if that were still true? What if James T. Kirk was a confirmed bachelor and by putting his heart out on the line like he was, Bones was afraid he was going to lose the one person in this world he loved more than he had ever loved anyone.

Leonard Horatio McCoy had been married years ago, back in Iowa on Earth. The marriage had been short lived and the divorce almost lethal. When he had met Jim, he lamented to the unsuspecting kid that all he had left were his bones. It's how Jim had come to call Leonard by the name of Bones. After the divorce, Bones hadn't wanted anything to do with women or with marriage ever again. (Usually when someone says they don't want anything to do with the other sex, it usually only lasts until their heart heals. In Bones case, he hadn't been sure if he'd truly meant it, but after being with Jim for so long, he was sure he very well could have.)

Bones had the ring in his pocket. He had bought it with the money the Jasparans had given them their first day here on the planet. He didn't know how or when he was going to do it, but after what they had been through (becoming Uhura and Lt. Marcus, ending up in a future Enterprise not knowing if they were ever going to get home, Jim dying...), Bones knew he didn't want anything more than to be able to call Jim husband. He wanted to give himself to him fully, in every way one person could give themselves to another person.

Over the last few days, Lt. Marcus had carried it around in her pocket. Bones knew when he spoke with her earlier she knew what he was planning. She had thought of sending the ring back when she had given the necklace to Uhura to give to him, but she thought that maybe it was what it was and sending it back might ruin the surprise for the captain. Marcus had done her best to assure him as well that he was making the right decision.

_"I've never seen Jim look at anyone the way he looks at you. I've never known him to care for anyone the way he cares for you."_

And she had meant every word of it.

So, here he was, standing on the dance floor, ring in his pocket, Jim in his arms, and a heavy weight on his shoulders he knew was only going to be lifted once he asked Jim his question. Licking his lips, he swallowed hard. Reaching his hand in his pocket, he prayed to whatever God would listen.  _Please let him say yes_.

"Jim?"

Kirk lifted his head from Bones' shoulder. "Hmmm?"

Pulling the ring out of his pocket, a simple brown band made of some material only known on this planet, Bones quietly asked spoke the simple words, "Marry me?"

Jim's face shifted from silent contentment to something Bones wasn't sure he understood. He was sure Jim was going to say no. What else could he say when he hadn't said yes right off the bat. Then Jim's face shifted to a face Bones knew all to well, but hadn't expected on seeing tonight.

"What, no diamond?"

With a response like that, Bones would have simply walked away, but he wasn't walking away from Jim this time. He wanted to hear his answer, be it yes or no. "Jim, I'm serious here."

Taking a deep breath, Bones let Jim go from his arms and took this opportunity to kneel on one knee in front of Jim, there for everyone at the celebration to watch. "Will you be my husband, Jim. Will you show everyone we ever meet that you're mine and that I belong to you and we are together no matter what anyone says or whatever happens? Will you marry me?"

Kirk had never wanted to get married. He had been serious when he had told Bones years ago at the academy that he hadn't wanted to get married, but now with the love of his life, the man who owned his heart, kneeling there in front of him, there was only one thing Kirk wanted to say.

"Yes." He smiled brightly. "Yes, Bones! I will!"

Bones hadn't even been able to stand up before Kirk's arms were wrapped around his neck and he was kissing him deeply. He did his best to keep from falling over. Around the two of them, there was a roar of applause and numerous voices congratulating them and giving their best wishes. They were engaged now and happier than either of them ever thought they could be. They were getting married.

 


	21. As Good As It Looks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 21 - Cooking/baking - Bones teaches Jim how to cook.  
> \-------------------------------------------------------------------

Carol Marcus walked into the senior officer's dining room and saw Uhura, Spock, Sulu, Scotty and Pavel sitting at the captain's table. She held her hand up, pointing toward the door that had just shut behind her.

"Why did Denton just leave?" She didn't see dinner on the table. "Who's [cooking dinner](http://www.fanfiction.net/s/9335511/21/Go-Boldly)?"

The Captain and his fiancé, Dr. McCoy, weren't at the table. This dinner had been for them to celebrate their engagement, but they weren't sitting there with the rest of them.

Inside the kitchen, Bones stood behind Jim, helping him put the finishing touches on each of the dishes. Jim hadn't cooked a day in his life, but when he said he wanted to have an engagement party, or rather just dinner with their friends, he told Bones that he wanted him too cook. Bones had other ideas.

"It's about time you learned how to cook," Bones whispered in his ear from where he stood behind him.

Kirk smiled. "I don't believe one meal is going to make me a master chef."

"No, definitely not." Bones kissed the side of his neck. "Which is good. We can have several nights here in the kitchen, just you and me."

"Your arms wrapped around me like this..."

"Mmmm," the air from a soft groan brushed against Jim's ear as Bones turned his head back into Jim's neck. "No better place for them."

Kirk smiled, leaning his head to the side to rest against Bones' head. "How do they look?"

Bones looked down at the plates of duck, shredded savoy cabbage and sautéed potatoes all arranged artfully on the eight plates. He was proud of his [student](http://www.fanfiction.net/s/9335511/21/Go-Boldly) and smiled, kissing the side of Jim's head.

"Beautiful, baby. Now lets just hope it tastes as good as it looks."

"I'm worried about dessert!"

Bones looked over at the strawberry cheesecake sitting on the counter across from them. It looked beautiful, as much as the main course did, maybe more. "Jim, the food looks perfect and I'm sure it's going to taste just as good as it looks. Trust me."

Turning in his arms, Kirk let his lips brush softly across Bones' lips. "More than anyone."

Bones smiled, lifting his eyebrows above his eyes. "Shall we?"

Nodding, Kirk stepped out of Bones' embrace and picked up two of the plates. Bones picked up two as well and they left the kitchen, seeing that Lt. Marcus had just arrived.

"Oh, great! Carol!" Kirk said. "Before you take a seat, why don't you grab two plates out of the kitchen."

She nodded her head and Checkov stood. "I'll help as vell."

"Thank you, Mr. Checkov," Kirk said, placing the two plates in his hands down in front of Uhura and Spock, taking the plates Bones held in his hands. "Could you get the wine, baby?"

Bones grunted. He liked being called baby, but it would still take a bit of getting used to for Jim to call him that in front of their friends. But he wasn't going to say anything about it. He wouldn't.

Everyone was surprised that Kirk had been the one to cook the the meal. Kirk told them that Bones was the master chef in the kitchen and that he was only learning. None of them knew Bones cooked, but it didn't surprise them as much as it did Kirk cooking. Everyone really enjoyed dessert. When everyone was all finished, there were two slices left over.

"Why don't you two take them and go back to your quarters?" Uhura suggested. "We'll clean up in here."

Spock looked as though he wanted to protest, that he had something better to do (those wouldn't be his exact words), but he decided against it. Kirk looked around at his crew, his friends, his family and nodded his head.

"Thank you. Thank you very much."

"Congratulations again, you two," Carol beamed brightly at the two of them.

Everyone else joined in in their best wishes for the couple's forthcoming plans. Bones stood, letting Jim do their thank yous and picked up the cake on their two stood with him, wrapping his arm around Bones.

"Good night, everyone. Have a nice night."

He'd been engaged for a little over 24 hours and he was still high as a kite, drunk on love. They walked into their quarters and Kirk turned to face Bones, pulling him by his arm to the bedroom.

"Let's eat in here."

If there was one thing Bones didn't like, it was eating in the bed, but Jim was always making him do things he didn't necessarily want to do. Kirk kicked off his shoes and helped Bones sit down on the bed, taking the plates from him and placing them on the bed before crouching down in front of him to help him take his shoes off. Smiling up at him, he slid his hands over his legs softly.

"You know, this whole engaged and getting married thing, it's not so bad. Was your head in the clouds when you proposed to Shawna?"

Shaking his head, Bones pulled off his overshirt and sat back against the headboard, picking up his plate of cheesecake. "Being with you is nothing like what it was like with Shawna."

Kirk pulled his overshirt off as well as his pants, curling up on the bed with Bones, leaving his cheesecake on the bed. "You know, when we talked about marriage back at the academy, I knew you were still hurting over the way things ended with her." Bones rolled his eyes. "I want you to know, Bones," Kirk shook his head, "I will never leave you like she did."

Bones turned to look at Jim, staring at him intently. "I know that, Jim. I'm not afraid of that."

"What are you afraid of?" He reached for his cake and took a bite.

"Losing you."

Kirk froze, mid chew. Turning his head slowly back to Bones, he lifted his hand to caress his face. "You're not going to lose me, baby. I promise you that."

But it wasn't enough to soothe Bones' fears. He knew Jim better than anyone and he knew how he lived his life, even though Jim insisted he had lived his life more dangerously before they met, Bones knew how he was still. He had already lost him once, and he wasn't prepared to do it again. He couldn't play God repeatedly.

"Can you do me a favor and try not to threaten that promise?"

Kirk smiled brightly for him. "There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you, baby." He nodded his head shortly. "I promise."

Bones inhaled deeply, nodding his head as well accepting the kiss that Jim pressed to his lips. He could never stop worrying about Jim as long as he breathed, but he'd at least try not to let it rule his life. He was going to be happy with him no matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On the downward slope, I'm getting sad this is coming to an end, but we've got many epic chapters to go. The next few chapter are... EEEEEK. I hope you're still enjoying!


	22. Damnit, Jim, I'm a Doctor...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 22 - In battle, side-by-side- Bones awakens to find the ship has been compromised.  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bones awoke a few hours later, shivering. Jim was still asleep wrapped in his arm, but his shivering body was enough to worry Bones even more. He slid his arm from his sleeping lover and turned to press the computer panel. It didn't immediately chirp back. Pressing it again, he heard it beep, but it was a few octaves lower than usual. _The computer was cold_ _ **too?**_

"Computer, what the hell is wrong with temperature control?"

The computer's voice seemed almost unfamiliar to the doctor's ears. " _Temperature controls offline."_

Jones McKirk came running into the bedroom. _Something has happened aboard the ship, Bones. You should awaken Jim._

Nodding his head, he turned and gave Jim a slight shake. "Jim, wake up. Something's wrong."

"Why is the room so damn cold?" Kirk sleepily wondered. "Turn up the heat, baby."

"I can't, Jim. The computer system is inoperative."

Kirk turned over, looking up at him in the darkness. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know. It's not working."

 _Sir,_ Jones McKirk jumped up onto the bed, _I believe someone is aboard your ship._

Kir felt like he was still half asleep. Nothing was making any sense. Pushing himself from the bed, he pulled on his underwear and started to dress in his uniform. "God, I may need a bomber jacket. It's fucking freezing, Bones!"

"Yeah, no shit!"

Jones McKirk waited until they were both dressed before suggesting, _You may want to arm yourselves before going out there,_

Kirk walked over to a panel on the wall, pressing a button for it to open. When it didn't open automatically, he sighed and used both of his hands to open it manually. Pulling out two phasers, he tossed one over to Bones and turned the weapon onto stun. Bones looked down at the object in his hand, shaking his head.

"I don't know if I can do this."

Kirk looked up at Bones, remembering their time in Basic Security at the academy. It had been one of Bones' least favorite classes. He was good in it, better than some of the men and women who were going into the security field, but he still hadn't liked it.

"You can do this Bones, trust me." Closing the distance between the two of them, he raised his left hand, placing it on Bones' shoulder. "I'll be right beside you. I promise."

Nodding, Bones stepped to the door ahead of Jim. If security wasn't there to protect him, someone had to. And Bones wouldn't ever let anything happen to him. There was no telling what was going on outside their door, but whatever it was, it had taken over control of the ship.

"What I want to know," Bones spoke quietly, in case their captors were nearby and could hear, "why Spock or Sulu didn't inform you of whatever is going on."

"Maybe they were unable to?" Kirk suggested with a shrug. "I don't know."

They came to the turbolift and waited for the door to open. When it didn't, Kirk pressed the panel on the wall beside it. It beeped with an error and Kirk shook his head.

"We're going to have to use the access tubes to get to the bridge."

Bones sighed heavily. He'd never had to crawl in those tight spaces. Usually only engineers were the ones to climb through them since, not only were they access points through the ship in case the turbolifts were down, service conduits and other engineer conduits and circuits were there. He knew it was the only way they were going to be getting around the ship, but that didn't mean that he was looking forward to it.

Kirk led Bones to the nearest access conduit and turned to Bones. "You first."

Bones took a deep breath, shivering slightly from the cold. He didn't say anything, but started to climb up the diagonal tube. Kirk took a moment to breathe. At least it wasn't cold enough to see your breath. He had no idea where his crew was. He hoped those who weren't on duty were still sleeping and were staying as warm as they could. He hated to think of what had taken over his ship.

After climbing for a while, they came to a junction. Bones wasn't sure where they were at this point and decided he should let Jim take point. Kirk climbed into the junction and turned to look at Bones. Truth be told, even though each of them were remaining calm, they were both as anxious as could be.

"It's gonna be ok," Kirk said, not sure of it himself, but it was his job both as ship's captain and as his fiancé to assure him.

He gave a sure smile, even if he knew Bones could tell he was scared. Bones reached out, taking Jim's left hand. "I want to marry you, Jim. I don't want to be burying you."

A lump formed in Kirk's throat the size of a grapefruit. "No one will be burying anyone. You don't have to worry about that."

Bones nodded quickly but pulled Jim close to him and pressed his lips hard against his. Kirk kissed back fully, swallowing the lump before pulling back, tears glistening but not falling.

"Come on. Let's find everyone else and figure out what the hell is going on here."

Kirk lead him down a horizontal tube to their left, opting to avoid the variable gravity spot above them. Now was not the time to be playing around. They'd take the next junction to head up. Finally arriving at the bridge floor, Kirk reached back to help Bones climb out of the diagonal tube. Turning to head down the corridor toward the bridge, they came to an abrupt halt.

Ahead of them stood their captors. Neither of them had any clue who or what they were looking at. They hadn't seemed to notice the two of them come around the corner, but they were standing between them and the bridge. They had pulled out the panels from the walls and were using mechanical bits and drills from their hands to tinker with the systems.

Their skin was pale, the skin they had. Most of their bodies were covered in what looked to be like machine parts, tubes, metal. They looked like something out of an old science fiction movie.

"Captain."

They both jumped, hearing Spock's usual calm voice approach them from behind. Their hearts, already wildly beating in their chests had stopped, jumping up into their throats.

"Jesus, Mr. Spock!" Kirk cursed at him under his breath. "Keep your voice down!"

Spock shook his head. "They will not attack unless they are provoked. Lt. Uhura is not with you?" He looked around as though he expected to see her with them.

"No, Mr. Spock..."

"I sent her to come get you."

Kirk's eyes widened. "Where is everyone else?"

"I have ordered everyone to remain in their quarters, Captain. Members of the crew have already been..." his head turned to the side as if he were saying the word for the first time, "assimilated."

"Assimilated, what does that mean?"

Even as Kirk asked this, Lt. Hendorff comes around the corner, but he's not the Hendorff they know. He has the computer parts all over his body and he was walking like a robot past them. Looking back to Spock, he demands answers of him.

"Who are these creatures and what the hell is wrong with Hendorff?"

Inhaling deeply, and not allowing Kirk to rouse his anxiety to Kirk's level. "They are the Borg. I do not know much more than you do, than you have observed."

"Why didn't you alert me when they arrived?"

"The communication system had already been disabled before I could, sir. Come with me."

Spock lead both of them toward the bridge of the ship. He didn't seem to slow down or even show caution as they passed the Borg tampering with the ship's computer conduits. Kirk and Bones were a different story. Bones lifted his phaser and Kirk shook his head, pushing his hand back down.

"Do not provoke them, Bones," he whispered, following Spock into the bridge.

"Keptin on the bridge!" Checkov's voice came out a tad shaky, but he still managed to do his duty.

Kirk was relieved to see that he and Sulu were alright. He didn't like that Spock had sent Uhura out to get him, but he didn't want to think the worst. He hoped she hadn't been … assimilated. Honestly, he'd hope that if she had been, Spock would show more emotion than he was. But it had taken Kirk taunting and goading him into admitting his feelings when he lost his mother for him to show any type of emotion. It had been a flash when he had. He'd snapped and attacked Kirk for the way he was talking about his mother. Kirk knew he deserved it, but it had been worth it. Spock had to acknowledge his emotions.

If Uhura had been assimilated, and Spock had his usual wet fish attitude, Kirk would never be able to look at him the same way again. Yes, he understood his need to keep his emotions in check, but this was his lover, not just anyone. He could understand if it was any other member of the crew, even him, and they were as close as brothers, but this was Uhura. He just hoped she was alright.

Kirk's musings were halted when he saw the giant ship (whatever that big box of metal was) ahead of them on the view screen. "What the hell is that?"

"That is their ship, Captain. We weren't sure what it was, and I told Mr. Checkov to run a scan. Before we knew it, our computer systems were locked out and we had two of them standing in front of us here on the bridge."

"Ve tried to get you, Keptin, but ve had been logged out of ze system."

"That's alright, Mr. Checkov. Has anyone been down to check on Scotty?"

Because of the early hour, Mr. Scott was probably still asleep in his quarters. He kept late hours all the time, so no one usually saw him until at least after 0900 hours, closer to 1000 hours usually.

Checkov shook his head. "N...no, Keptin."

Kirk could see the distress in the kid's face. He could only imagine how he'd feel if Bones were somewhere on the ship and he couldn't get to him easily. But Checkov probably knew the access tubes better than anyone aside from maybe Scotty himself. Taking a deep breath, he placed his hand on Checkov's shoulder.

"Why don't we head down to Engineering by way of his quarters?"

Checkov's shoulders relaxed visibly. "Thank you, Keptin!"

Kirk looked back to Spock. "Do what you can to protect people. Figure out what they want and what we can do to get our ship back from them. Observe them as much as you can without getting in their way."

Spock gave him an odd look and Kirk only smirked. He knew Spock was not a confrontational man. He wouldn't deliberately get in their way. He wasn't going to be the one to attack them. If what Spock had said about provoking them was true, Spock was probably the safest person on the crew.

It was odd for Kirk to think that his ship had been accosted and they weren't even hostile. Well, that was debatable, considering what they had done to _Cupcake_. But they didn't seem to have any guns or phasers or anything that would appear to be a threat- outside of the machines that seemed to be directly located into their bodies, or were part of their bodies. They were daunting in and of themselves. They didn't need actual weapons. Kirk just had to wonder how they had changed Hendorff into one of them. It couldn't have been anything less than painful.

Checkov led the way toward Scotty's quarters through the access tubes uncharacteristically quiet. Usually, he'd be chatting his and Bones' ears off with some tale or fact or something. Had they been in the tubes for any other reason, he'd probably have some information about them that both Kirk and Bones didn't necessarily need to know, but they would listen attentively. Because of the circumstances, no one spoke, until they got to Mr. Scott's floor.

"Zis way," Checkov told them, leading them out of the tube onto the floor just half of a hall away from Scotty's quarters.

Scotty wasn't in his quarters and Kirk could see Checkov growing more and more worried by the moment. "He is alright, Pavel. I promise you."

Checkov nodded his head and led them back to the access tubes to lead the way to engineering. Kirk turned to follow him and Bones grabbed his arm, keeping him back for a moment.

"You shouldn't make promises like that to the kid. If Mr. Scott isn't alright, the kid will resent you for however long we have left to live."

Kirk gave Bones a reassuring smile, probably a little more cocky than he probably should be in their situation. "We're all going to be alright Bones. Trust me."

Bones hated that he kept asking that, that he kept telling people to trust him. There was no way Jim could know that they would all be ok. Lieutenant Hendorff had already been changed into one of those pale-skinned cyborgs, there's no telling what else could happen and to how many.

They climbed out of one of the tubes into engineering only to find the entire place completely overrun with the cyborgs. Kirk was about to curse himself for promising what he had to Checkov until he saw Keenser sitting on top of one of the conduit frames. Scotty couldn't be far away. If something had happened to him, Keenser would have been off to find Checkov.

Keenser's beady black eyes connected with Kirk's and he heard Checkov audibly sigh beside him and turned the direction Checkov's gaze fell. Kirk instantly relaxed when he saw that Scotty was alright. He was standing at a panel that had been taken down from the wall. Without saying a word, Checkov lead the way over to Scotty.

"Monty!" Checkov's voice caught in his throat as he said the older man's name.

Scott turned to see Checkov coming up by his side. "Pavel! God, Pavel!" He instantly wrapped his arms around the kid and held him tightly there, his eyes closed tightly as if he were trying to hold back tears threatening to escape from them. "I'm so r'liev'd t'know yer a'right! Thank God!"

Pavel pulled back, looking at his lover, looking over him just to make sure he was alright as well, even though he was holding him in his arms. "Vhat are you doing, Monty?"

Mr. Scott looked over at Kirk and McCoy, giving them only one nod to greet the both of them before turning back to the computer circuits. "I'm tryin'a fig'ure out a way to transport all a these mechanical bastards into the nacelles so we can burn their asses get rid of them an' I can _finally_ regain control a the ship's computers. Every time I get anythin' done, those bastards fin' me and come afta me. I alread' saw what they did t' Lieutenen Walters."

Sighing, Kirk came up the other side of Mr. Scott. "Scotty, if we can keep them away from you, do you think you can get enough power to do that?"

"I do what I can, Cap, yes!"

Kirk nodded quickly, turning to Checkov. "You stay here. Assist Mr. Scott! Bones and I will take care of the robots."

"Aye, Keptin!"

Kirk turned to Bones, eyes wide. "Let's go, Bones!"

Bones felt his heart tighten in his chest. Jim didn't usually drag him around on his hairbrained ideas, but there wasn't a whole lot of options, and at this moment, Bones didn't want to let Jim out of his sight. He wasn't given time to respond before Jim was running off to ward off the cyborgs. Kirk stopped, coming up to a bunch of them and dropping back behind a wall. He could see Scotty and the robots at the same time.

"Ok, so from what Scotty said, he does something to get our control of the ship back and they go after him to stop him. So what we've got to do is stop them so they can't stop him."

Bones had already gotten that much from the exchange back with the Scotsman, but he knew how Jim's mind worked, so kept his mouth shut, except to say, "Damnit, Jim, I'm a doctor, not a fighter!"

"Today, you're both. We're gonna keep these machines off Scott's back, and once he gets control of the ship back, any crew members that they've … turned into one of them, you're going to get them back. You're going to do everything you can to turn them back into themselves."

Inhaling deeply, Bones knew there was no other option. Of course he'd get them back, but he wasn't looking forward to the fighting part of this. Behind them, they heard Scotty's silent exclamation of triumph just as the group of robots turned their heads in unison toward them. Kirk knew they weren't looking at him and Bones. They started moving and Kirk knew they were heading straight for Mr. Scott to stop him.

"Here we go!" Kirk said, jumping out in the path of the big grey robots.

Bones sighed heavily, muttering under his breath before jumping out with him, starting to fire his phaser with Jim at the approaching cyborgs. The phasers were only set to stun. The first two blasts hit the front two, barely causing them to stagger a bit, but continued walking toward them.

"Turn it up, Bones! Maximum setting! Get as many as you can!"

They both turned up their phasers and started firing at them. Kirk called over to Scotty. "TELL ME YOU'VE GOT SOMETHING, MR. SCOTT!"

"I thin I got somethin, Captain!"

"Transporter ability?"

"I rerouted transporter controls here. Yes!"

"Now, Scott! Four robots about to assimilate us! Transport their asses into the nacelles!"

"Aye, Captain!"

One of the drones lifted his hand, or mechanical drill bit, toward Kirk's head. He recognized the face. It was Lieutenant Walters.

"No, Scotty, No! Lock off of Chad Walters! Lock off now!"

If anyone could stop a transport once he'd already given it the order to go through, it was Mr. Scott. Kirk closed his eyes, unsure if he was afraid of the drill bit coming at him or to see Lt. Walters being transported away from him. He heard the drill bit whir and the sound of the energizer activating before being slammed down to the ground.

Opening his eyes, he saw Bones on top of him. He had pushed him out of the way of Lt. Walters changing him into one of them. Bones couldn't let that happen. But they didn't have time for thank yous and relieved sighs. Far too much was at stake, and they had a crew to save from a ship full of grey part-human, part-machine robots.

Kirk looked up to see Lt. Walters reaching down to pick the both of them up and he yelled at Scotty. "Transport him to the brig, Scotty!"

"Aye, Captain."

The white lights swirled around the remaining Borg who used to be Lt. Walters. Kirk let his head fall back onto the floor only for a moment. He looked up at Bones who was still on top of him. He promised everything was going to be ok, and he meant it. He wasn't going to lose anyone on his crew. He had a record. It had been tarnished when they had gone up against Kahn, but aside from that, Kirk had never lost a crew member under his command. He wasn't going to start today. If that meant he had to go gallivanting around the ship luring these bastards into Scotty's snare, he'd do just that.

"Permission to go back to quarters and stay there, Bones."

Bones shook his head, his face contorting in an almost painful way. "No way in hell I'm letting you run off and play cat and mouse with these bastards, Jim! Not without me." The last part came out strained and his voice almost broke. He couldn't believe Jim was telling him to leave, not now. He'd been pulling Bones along with him until now, and _now_ he was telling him to leave. Bones wouldn't have that. He couldn't just leave Jim, not now.

/\ /\ /\ **TO BE CONTINUED...** /\ /\ /\


	23. Don't Call Me That...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 23 - Arguing- Kirk orders Bones back to quarters. He's not happy.  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kirk let his head fall back onto the floor only for a moment. He looked up at Bones who was still on top of him. He promised everything was going to be ok, and he meant it. He wasn't going to lose anyone on his crew. He had a record. It had been tarnished a bit when they had gone up against Kahn, but aside from that, Kirk had never lost a crew member under his command. He wasn't going to start today. If that meant he had to go gallivanting around the ship luring these bastards into Scotty's snare, he'd do just that.

"Permission to go back to quarters and stay there, Bones."

Bones shook his head, his face contorting in an almost painful way. "No way in hell I'm letting you run off and play cat and mouse with these bastards, Jim! Not without me." The last part came out strained and his voice almost broke.

"Bones, I can't lose you!"

"I can't lose you, damnit! I've already done it ONCE! Don't expect me to do it today!"

"Bones, we've seen what these things can do. I'm not going to die."

Bones eyes widened dramatically. "I don't want you turning into no goddamned cyborg either, Jim, Damnit! You don't give a damn for your own safety!"

"Do you even know me at all?"

Bones swallowed hard. He knew Jim probably more than anyone else on this ship, probably anyone else ever anywhere. He knew that everyone else's safety, everyone else's happiness always came before his own. People might look at him as a selfish bastard, but Bones knew him better. Bones knew who he was and he both loved and hated that.

"I can't think about myself when the safety of the rest of the ship is at risk. We can't just lay here arguing about this, Bones!" Kirk looked down between the two of them and back up at Bones. "I have to do this, Bones."

"No, you don't have to do this! Not alone."

Kirk shook his head. "No, Goddamnit! Return to quarters! That's an order!"

"Well, I'm choosing to ignore that order."

"Bones, please!"

Bones could see the pain behind his eyes, the fear. "Jim."

"Go to quarters, Dr. McCoy! That's an order."

Bones knew he could go against Jim's orders and argue with him all over the ship, or he could go back to his quarters and freeze his butt off with Jones McKirk. What good would he be to Jim though? He decided his time would be best spent trying to figure out how to save the crew members who had been turned into these things. That's what Jim wanted and that's what Jim would get. It was his responsibility to make that happen.

"Don't make me have to have Scotty beam you there!"

Sighing heavily, Bones pushed himself to a stand and reached down to help Jim up. Kirk's hand wrapped around Bones and he let him pull him to his feet. Their eyes held glued together for the moment. Kirk knew what he was asking of Bones and he knew there was no other option. He couldn't do what he knew he had to do knowing that he had to protect Bones as well. Yes, he was protecting him and the rest of the ship with him back in quarters, but it was different with him there beside him.

"Thank you, Bones."

"Don't call me that."

"Bones...?"

Kirk didn't understand. He always called him Bones. What made now any different than before? Bones shook his head. He knew this was hard on both of them. Even though he understood why Kirk was sending him away, he didn't like it. He could see the distress in his eyes, the need to keep him safe. It didn't make him like it anymore.

"Just do what you have to do, Captain."

Kirk took a deep breath, swallowing the hard lump in his throat. Bones had never called him anything other than Jim to his face. But now he was calling him Captain and he was telling him _not_ to call him Bones. What was going on here? Had Kirk finally pissed him off to the point where … No! There was _no way_ he could allow himself to think that. Bones wouldn't dump him just because he was going off to protect his ship and crew. He wouldn't do that. He wouldn't.

"Just go..."

Kirk nodded, turning his head away quickly. "Mr. Scott. Checkov. You're with me."

Bones swallowed hard, watching the three of them - and Keenser who climbed down off the conduit to follow Mr. Scott - leave before heading back through the access tube he and Jim had come through to get there to head to medical. He'd stop by captain's quarters to check on Jonesey and probably bring him to medical with him.

He sat at his desk after arriving in medical almost a half an hour later. The Enterprise was a big ship, and when you didn't have the turbolifts to take you from deck to deck, having to climb through the access tubes took a very long time. The computers were running slowly, like they had when he had awoken. It seemed the Borg had only shut down main ship controls and communications. Information databases were still online, even if they were a bit sluggish.

He couldn't find anything on Borg or anything closely resembling that reference, however he did find something around the time of Zefram Cochrane and then several years later, but nothing directly naming them as Borg. He did find something odd though. Pictures taken of Zefram Cochrane at the time of First Contact. His eyes widened and Jones McKirk lifted his head off his paws, looking at him.

 _Bones_?

Jumping slightly, Bones took a deep breath and turned his head down to look at his spirit companion. "Jonesey?"

_Find something?_

Shaking his head, Bones looked back at the photo on his pad, magnifying the image. "Nothing I am believing."

_Usually, it is the most obvious things which are most difficult to believe._

Bones blinked, swallowing hard. "I'd say they are ancestors of the Enterprise D crew, but to have three of them there, standing next to each other," Bones shook his head, "that is not a coincidence."

(If you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.)

He'd never really believed in time travel, prior to his trip to the Enterprise D, but he'd seen these people. He'd met them. There's no way that was a coincidence. They had traveled back in time. Had it been because of the Borg? He wasn't sure, but perhaps they knew about them, and their presence there. Could they have impeded First Contact? Possibly changed history like Nero did? Would they even be here now if they hadn't?

So many questions flew through his head. If only he could go forward in time to talk to them, if only he could send a message through time to talk to them, if only... if only... if only... There was no way he could do any of that, but he wished someone or something would give him the answers he sought. At least his mind was off Jim and how reckless he was being. He was glad he had something else to focus on, even if Jim never truly left his mind.

Jones McKirk stood and rested his head on Bones' lap. _He will be alright, Bones._

Bones smiled down at his spirit companion. "I know, Jonesey. I know."

But he didn't know. Jim was always getting himself into trouble, and he was sure this time would be no exception. He just didn't want to have to be pulling machine parts off of his body... whether he was alive or dead. He didn't know if he could do that. He would, but thinking about it was enough to make him lose his mind.


	24. I Was Out of Line

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 24 - Making up afterwards- After almost losing Jim again, Bones wastes no time.  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kirk shifted on the biobed. For a moment, he thought he was in his quarters, waking up from a night's sleep. But the platform he laid on was not his bed and he could tell it was too small for Bones to be by his side. Opening his eyes, he realized where he was. It only took him a moment to recall what had happened and why he was there in medical in the first place.

Borg.

How those machines... whatever they were got onto his ship in the first place, he'd wouldn't know. Where they came from in the first place, he'd never know. All that mattered now was getting rid of them and getting back on course. He quickly moved to get off the bed, wondering again why the hell he was here in the first place. He had to get back to helping Scotty get them off the ship.

"Where in the hell do you think you're going?"

Kirk felt Bones' firm grasp hold him still on the biobed. "Bones, I've got to save the ship!" He felt light headed and winded just by sitting up, but he had to get back out there.

"No, you don't. Lay back down."

Kirk turned his head to Bones who was trying to get him to lay back down. "Bones, I have to-"

"They're gone, Jim. Just lay back down."

Slowly, Kirk let Bones help him lay back onto the biobed. "It worked? Scotty's plan."

Bones nodded, rubbing Jim's shoulder softly. "You saved us. Both of you."

"What about Uhura? Hendorff? Walters? Anyone else?"

Bones turned his head to where he had the others sedated on biobeds. "It wasn't easy, but they're all back to normal."

His voice cut off and Kirk looked from the others back to Bones. "Bones?"

Bones swallowed hard, clenching his eyes tight. "I could have lost you."

Kirk took Bones hand in his own, placing it over his chest. "You didn't. I'm here, Bones. I'm here."

Bones opened his eyes, looking down at Jim. "The way Mr. Spock brought you in here, Jim... If you hadn't done what you were doing, we all would have been turned into those bastards."

Kirk didn't know why he was in here, but if Spock had to bring him in, he knew something bad must have, like maybe almost getting turned into one of those things like Uhura and Hendorff. He didn't ask. He could tell it was hard enough on Bones..

"Come here."

Bones eyebrows knit together over his eyes, shaking his head slightly. "Jim, now is not the time."

"Will you just lay down here with me? That's an order."

Shaking his head, Bones slid onto the biobed beside Jim, wrapping his arms around him and letting Jim rest his head on his chest. He hated the way they had left things between the two of them and when Mr. Spock had brought Jim's body in, unconscious and a patch of mechanical metals and wires trying to bore itself into Jim's temple, Bones heart nearly stopped in his chest. He wasn't going to lose him again. He couldn't deal with that.

"I … uh..." Bones inhaled deeply. "I'm sorry, about earlier. I should have accepted your orders without question. I'm sorry I didn't."

Kirk did his best to hug Bones. "I was out of line, Bones. I just wanted to ensure your safety. I couldn't lose you."

"I understand that, I just didn't like- and still don't - how you completely disregard your own safety. You promised me I wasn't going to have to face losing you again"

"I know, Bones. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I ordered you to leave."

Bones sighed heavily. "As much as I hated it, I'm glad you did. If you hadn't, I wouldn't have been able to figure out how to save all of you."

Kirk lifted his head from Bones' chest, looking up at him. "What do you mean?" His eyes widened. "Did they try to make me their bitch?" He asked anyway. He didn't need to handle Bones with kid gloves. He was a grown man.

With the way Jim worded things at times, Bones had to shake his head. "They tried, but I assure you, no one on this ship would let that happen. Me especially."

"I know you wouldn't, Bones."

Bones inhaled deeply. "I'm also sorry I told you not to call me that."

"Shhh, Bones. It's fine. We're fine. I'm fine. You're fine. I understand."

"I love you, Jim. I don't want to find out what it's really like _not_ to have you in my life. Every time we fight, every time you go off …" Bones shook his head again, "being yourself, saving everyone but putting yourself in harm's way at the same time. I hate it, but I would much rather live with that than live without you. I love you. Always will."

"I love you too, Bones. Always."

"Then marry me."

Kirk pulled his head back to look at him. "We are... Aren't we?" After the fight they had, even if they were making up, Kirk wasn't completely sure.

"Yes," Bones nodded. "But I don't want to wait. I want to marry you now. Tomorrow. Just … I don't want to wait."

Kirk looked into Bones eyes. There wasn't anyone in any galaxy he wanted to marry more than he wanted to marry Bones. Since the day they met on that transport, he knew no one would ever fill the space in his life that Bones had when he took it. And the night they got together, even though Kirk was drunk on his ass and couldn't remember shit, the morning after, waking up in his bed naked and seeing the man next to him naked as well, he knew this was what he wanted more than anything else in the world. He wanted Bones forever.

"Yes, Bones! Tomorrow! On the bridge! In front of EVERYONE!" He leaned up, pressing his lips to Bones' lips, kissing him deeply. "Yes," he mumbled against his lips. "Yes! I will marry you!"


	25. I Want to Marry You...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 25 - Gazing into each others' eyes- Kirk wonders if Bones really wants to marry him.  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bones laid in bed with his arms wrapped around Jim that night after finally releasing him from medical. Uhura, Hendorff and a few of the others would stay in the medbay overnight. He would check on them in the morning. But in the morning, he had something else to be doing as well. That didn't mean that he didn't want to see to the well being of the crew who had been assimilated by the cyborgs who had taken over the ship. He would check on them and _then_ he would get ready for his wedding.

His wedding. He swore when he divorced Shawna, he swore he would never again get married. Getting involved with a man, especially a man also in Starfleet, he would have thought that marriage would never happen, no matter how much he cared for him. But Bones had fallen in love with Jim. He had never known love could ever be like this, and when he decided now was the time to ask him, he knew he was making the right decision.

He was sure he never could have asked Jim before the rest of the ship knew about them. He was sure both of them would be fine to live out the rest of their lives not letting anyone know the way they feel or that they're together like they were. But everything was different now. They were getting married. They were getting married _tomorrow_ , and Bones couldn't be happier. There was nothing he wanted more in his life.

Kirk felt the same way. He'd never been able to love a woman. No that he didn't care for quite a few quite dearly, he never could truly love them. And even though he respected them quite a bit, women weren't anything more than bed-warmers to him. He could never see himself being with one woman for the rest of his life.

But he could see himself with Bones forever. Aside from Bones being a man, he was the only person in his life who really understood him. Even though he could be a serious hardass _all_ of the time, Kirk knew that Bones loved him and that he understood him far more than anyone else ever would, and who ever did.

"Are you upset your mother won't be here?"

Sighing, Kirk looked down at Bones' chin, letting his fingers softly slide across the stubble there. "No." But he shrugged. "I mean, yes, but," he shook his head, "no." Looking up into Bones' eyes, he almost regretfully admitted, "I'm more upset Pike won't be here."

Bones tilted his head to the side, and Kirk continued. "I told him about us. He asked me if I ever thought I'd settle down, I told him I couldn't because the only person I could ever think about doing that with would never want it."

Bones looked down. He hadn't known this, but he wasn't upset that Jim had told Pike. He was like the father Jim never got to know, he was the one man Jim knew he could confide in, and he had lost him. Bones understood. He was glad Jim told him. He was glad Jim had someone he could speak to who wouldn't judge him, who wouldn't hold it against him. His mom, however, would be like any other mother and complain about grandchildren. Bones at least knew her that well.

"Are you sure you want to marry me?" Kirk asked out of nowhere.

Bones eyes furrowed together, shaking his head. "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't."

Kirk smiled, leaning his head forward and rested it against Bones' forehead. "I'm a flight risk, Bones."

"You're the only one I want to marry, Jim. Only one I'll ever want for as long as I live."

Kirk pulled his head back, attempting a cocky smile, but only succeeding in a goofy one. "Good, because you're stuck with me too."

Bones shook his head. "I love you, Jim. And I do want to marry you."

"I love you, Bones." He sighed contently, not taking his eyes off Bones' eyes. "I... I wanted to write my own vows," he let out a short laugh, "but I thought I'd have more time than this."

"We can wait..." Bones suggested, even though he truly didn't want to.

"No!" Kirk didn't want that at all. "I'm just thinking I'm going to have to wing it."

Bones shook his head. "I'm sure you can come up with something."

"What if I sound like an idiot up there?"

"You are an idiot."

"Thanks."

"But you're my idiot."

"Damn straight, I am."

Bones inhaled deeply, looking down at Jim's lips for a moment before looking back into his eyes. "How did we ever get here?"

"It's been a long road, getting from there to here."

Jim could already hear the words forming out in his head. It sounded like song lyrics, but he wasn't the most clever when it came to things he needed to say. He had to come up with something between now and tomorrow when they stood face to face with each other, vowing to love each other for the rest of their lives and beyond, but for right now, they were both content to lay here, staring into each others eyes.

Jim's eyes fell and Bones shook his head, lifting his face back up to his. "What is it?"

Sighing heavily, Kirk swallowed. "I don't want to keep fucking things up, Bones. I want this with you. I want, you know, that _happily ever after_ with you. I know how worried you are about losing me."

"You've already promised me that I'm not going to find out what that's really like, more than once."

Kirk nodded. "You're right, and more than once I've done exactly the opposite of keeping that promise, disregarding my safety with every chance I get."

"Jim, stop." Bones placed his fingers over Jim's mouth. "That's who you are. Yes, it scares me, downright to death at times, but it's who you are. I can't ask you to change."

"I know, but that doesn't mean I can't _try_ a little more for you."

Bones smiled. It was a nice gesture, but he knew Jim would continue to be who he was, and Bones wouldn't change him. Even if he was scared, he knew Jim inside and out. He wasn't going to let himself die if there was any way of stopping it.

"Let's get some sleep, Jim," Bones suggested, leaning forward and brushing his lips across Jim's. "Sooner we sleep, the sooner we're getting married."

Kirk nodded, closing his eyes and relaxing against Bones. "Yes, Bones. Good night." He yawned. "I love you."

Bones smiled, kissing Jim's forehead softly. "I love you, Jim."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only five more days to go. I'm so sad to see this ending. I'm sure there will be another sequel at sometime, but until that time, sad sad sad. I really hope you're still enjoying! Please comment! They're my crack!


	26. Cold Feet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 26 - Getting Married- Kirk and Jonesey discuss cold feet.  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Kirk awoke the next morning, Bones was already gone. Kirk knew he had to check on the crew mates who he had saved from the Borg. Pulling Bones' pillow against his body, Kirk inhaled his lover's scent into him. No, not just lover. After today, Bones would be his husband. He felt his heart begin to beat wildly in his chest. Dear God, was this cold feet? He didn't think it was. He wanted to marry Bones, more than anything.

_Do not think on it too much._

Kirk looked down at Jones McKirk who was laying at the foot of the bed. "Huh?"

_Cold feet, you were worried about. It is only because people over think everything that they get these cold feet._

Kirk smiled, looking down at his spirit companion. "I have no reason to worry, do I? It may be impromptu, but it's time, isn't it."

_Leonard and yourself are ready for this._

"I know we are. I just can't believe we're here. I never thought we'd even be anywhere close to being here."

_You have to let life run its course. Every event happens in its own time._

"And this is our time."

_Precisely. Now go along, Jim. You have a lot to do before the ceremony._

Kirk didn't waste anymore time laying around in bed after Jones McKirk told him to get going. After getting ready for the day, he headed straight for the bridge to talk to Spock. On ships, Captain's were ordained to marry people, and since it was the captain who was getting married in this instance, he had to make sure someone else could perform the ceremony.

Spock stood from the chair as he saw Kirk enter to his side. "Captain," he greeted him briefly.

"Mr. Spock!" Kirk clapped Spock on the back. "A word. Come with me."

The two left to the ready room off the side of the bridge and Kirk turned to Spock as the doors closed behind them. "Spock, I want you to marry me."

Spock turned his head to the side, unsure of what his captain was doing. "Sir, I know the kiss in the turbolift-"

Kirk shook his head, laughing out loud. "No, Spock! NO! I want you to perform the ceremony! I want you to marry Bones and me."

Kirk and bones had only decided they were getting married today last night, so no one on the ship knew they would be having a wedding today, but after what had happened with the Borg, they knew it was a good idea. The crew needed something to get their minds of the terrible things that had happened. What better way to do that than to have a wedding. Not everyone would be able to attend, the bridge wasn't that big, but Kirk thought they could broadcast it to the whole ship. It was going to be a beautiful ceremony, he knew it. He just needed Spock to perform it. He was the only other person on the ship qualified.

Spock nodded slowly. "It would be an honor, Jim."

Kirk smiled brightly, not only because Spock was agreeing to his request, but because he had called him Jim. "Good. We are set for 1300 hours. On the bridge."

"Wait," Spock turned his head slightly. "Today?"

"Yes, Spock! Bones and I are getting married at 1300 hours, today!"

Spock took a moment before nodding his head. "I will do as you ask, Jim."

Kirk gave him a firm hug before pulling back and looking at him intently. "And Uhura will be there as well," he promised him. "Bones assured me she's recovering nicely. She'll be there, even if she'll be sitting in my seat."

Spock visibly swallowed. "Good, Captain."

Kirk knew that was his way of thanking him and Bones and Kirk accepted it as much. "I'll see you just before the ceremony. In my ready room."

Spock nodded and Kirk patted the man on his back before turning to head off to find Carol. He had made a brief stop back on the bridgen, inviting both Checkov and Sulu at the same time, as well as all the other officers on the bridge before going to see Carol. Coming up to her quarters, he touched the panel to notify her that he was there.

"Come in."

Kirk headed into the lieutenant's quarters and she came into the room, smiling up at him. "Captain, was there something you needed?"

"Yes, actually." He paused, smiling down at her. "First, I want to thank you. You've been not only great to serve with, but you've become one of my best friends, and Bones' too."

"Thank you, Jim," she said, knowing now this wasn't an official meeting. "By the way, can I tell you, I think what you and Bones are doing, being together openly to everyone here on the ship, everyone we meet," she nodded, "it's sweet and it gives everyone a sense of pride. I mean, I know we aren't from a world where homosexuality is shunned, or even something to be ashamed of, but with regulations how they are in Starfleet..." She smiled. "I just want you to know that I will stand behind you no matter what happens. I know the rest of the crew will too."

"Thank you, Carol," Kirk said. It wasn't something he ever worried about. It wasn't something he even thought about now. Regulation stated any officer's relationship would not interfere with their duties, and as long as he and Bones didn't let anything keep them from doing their jobs, they would be fine. He didn't see it ever becoming an issue.

"Hey, I wanted to come and personally invite you to the wedding."

Carol's eyes lit up brightly. "Oh, you've set a date?"

Kirk nodded. "Yes. Today. 1300 hours. On the bridge. I want you there."

Carol wrapped her arms around him tightly, giving him a big hug. "Jim, that's so exciting! Of course I'll be there!"

Kirk smiled, pulling back from the embrace and smiling down at her. "I'll see you there then."

"Definitely!"

Kirk had a few more stops to make before getting ready for the ceremony himself. His next stop was engineering to invite Scotty. He also headed by the senior officer's dining room and told Denton he wanted him and Briel to cook a large meal for the celebration afterward in the main mess hall. He was sure the celebration would last long into the evening, so he told them to prepare lots of food.

By the time it was time to head toward the bridge, Kirk was … he wouldn't say he was nervous, but he felt as though he literally had butterflies flitting around in his stomach. He was excited for this. He was saying "I do" to the only person he ever would want to say those words to, and he could barely contain his excitement.

Standing in the mirror, he looked over his appearance. Dressed in his dress uniform, he nodded, pleased with his appearance. Jones McKirk came in and jumped up onto the counter, looking him over.

"How do I look, Jonesey?"

_Like a man at the precipice of the rest of his life._

"Do you think Bones will like?" Of course he'd seen him in his dress uniform before, but today was special.

_Yes, Jim. Bones will find you irresistible._

Kirk shook his head. "This is forever, Jonesey. Not just tonight."

_It is what is under the uniform, Jim, what is under your skin and bones and everything that makes up your body. It is your heart. It is your soul that Bones finds irresistible. It is what Bones wants forever._

Kirk turned his head's shaking to a nod. "It's what I want with Bones too."

_You two are connected, bonded in ways that most humans could only dream of, Jim._

Kirk inhaled deeply, ready for this moment. "Come, Jones McKirk. We have a wedding to get to!"

Bones stood on the bridge of the ship in front of the captain's chair, rocking back and forth on his feet, ball to heel, heel to ball, ball to heel. He was excited. He was nervous. But most of all, he was ready for this. Carol walked up to him, smiling as she ran her hand along his bicep. Usually, the close proximity and invasion of his personal space would annoy Bones, but they had been in each others bodies. There were no personal space boundaries left between the two of them.

"You look good, Doctor."

Smiling, he nodded his head to her. "Thank you, Carol. Thank you for being here."

"You asked me to be your maid of honor. How could I not be here?"

"Can you believe I'm doing this?"

Carol shook her head. "Before everyone knew about the two of you, I didn't think either of you were the marrying type." She gave him a bright smile. "But I seriously think that you two are suited for each other. You keep his feet on the ground, so to speak, and he makes you not so grumpy."

"Thanks," Bones smirked at her.

"You look very dashing. Jim is going to be unable to keep his hands off you."

Bones shook his head, his usual deadpan drawl dragging on his lips. "Thanks."

The doors at the back of the bridge swished open and they turned to see Spock walk in. Uhura stood from where she usually sat at her post, but she wasn't working. Bones had not yet cleared her for duty yet. She was simply there for the wedding. She felt weak, but she wanted to be there. Spock looked down at her, the first time he'd seen her since she had awaken from being a Borg. There were so many words that each of them needed to speak, but now was not the time. She simply reached out and took his hand with hers, giving it a gentle squeeze before nodding, knowing it was time to start the ceremony.

She turned to the computer panel, typing out a few commands before music started to fill the bridge, and the sound from the bridge started to play throughout the speakers all over the ship. Outside in the corridor, Kirk lifted his head to look at one of the speakers playing the music. The sound brought a smile to his lips. That music, a faint hum of some old earth tune, was one of his favorites, a tune his mother would hum to him when he was a baby. It had been one of his father's favorites as well. It was one of the few things he probably had that he knew in common with his father. In a way, it was like both of his parents were here just because this song was playing.

He took a step forward and the doors to the bridge whooshed open for him. His eyes instantly fell on Bones standing on the platform in front of his seat in the middle of the bridge. His heart began to swell in his chest. God, he looked perfect. That dress uniform really looked good on him. It always had, but for this purpose, for their wedding, it was perfect.

He closed the distance between the two of them where Jones McKirk was standing just off the platform taking Bones' hands in his own. "You look stunning."

Bones was unable to return the sentiment, breathless with Jim's appearance, the setting, everything. All he did was smile as Spock stepped up in front of the captain's chair. The two of them turned toward Spock, each of them elated beyond words for how they felt at this moment. Spock remained visually unaffected as usual.

"Greetings to everyone present," Spock begins, using what he knows for a bonding ritual as his basis for this ceremony. "We are gathered for the marriage of our Captain, James Tiberius Kirk, and our chief medical officer, Leonard Horatio McCoy."

Turning to Kirk, he asks him, "James Kirk..." He paused for a moment to think about how to rephrase this for a marriage ceremony, not a bonding ritual. He'd seen a few human marriages in his time, so he was sure he could … _improvise_. "Are you prepared to take Leonard's hand in marriage?"

Kirk turned to look directly at Bones. "I sure am!"

Turning to McCoy next, Spock asks of him, "Leonard McCoy, are you prepared to take Jim's hand in marriage?"

"I am," Bones answered, looking at Jim as well.

Spock started to lift his hands to open the Vulcan bond between the three of them, but Kirk lifted his hand. "Wait, Spock. We would like to say somethings to each other."

Although this was not the norm for a Vulcan ceremony, Spock was familiar with wedding vows. Nodding his head, he let the two of them continue.

"Bones, you know I'm not good with words. I hope you don't mind if I repeat some song lyrics." It was the type of man he was, it should be expected from him. But even if they weren't his own words, it wasn't as though he didn't mean every single one of them.

"The melody that was playing when I walked in, I asked Uhura to play specifically. It's a favorite of mine and I think it really depicts the way I feel right now, the way I feel about you. But I won't be singing, so don't go running for the door."

Bones shook his head, laughing slightly. Leave it to Jim to joke right now.

"It's been a long road, getting from there to here. It's been a long time, but my time is finally near. I can feel a change in the wind right now, nothing's in my way. And they're not gonna hold me down no more. Because I've got faith of the heart. I'm going where my heart will take me. I've got faith to believe I can do anything. I've got strength of the soul. No one's gonna bend or break me. I can reach any star. I've got faith of the heart."

He smiled at Bones, looking down at their hands, his thumb softly rubbing Bones' hand. He looked back up at Bones. "It's been a long night, trying to find my way. Been through the darkness, now I finally have my day. I will see my dream come to life at last." He smiled even more. "I will touch the sky. And they're not going to hold me down now more, no they're not going to change my mind."

He nodded. "I've known a wind so cold, I've seen the darkest days. But now the winds of fear are only winds of change. I've been through the fire, and I've been through the rain. But I'll be fine, because I've got," he smiled, not continuing with the lyrics, but saying instead, "you." He smiled even brighter. "I love you, Bones. I have for as long as I can remember. I know I'm a pain in the ass at times, but I love you and I swear to you, I'm going to spend the rest of my life trying to make you happy," he smirked, "instead of incurring your wrath because I'm such a smartass."

Bones shook his head, rolling his eyes. "You are a smartass, but I love you anyway." He cleared his throat. Jim's words had been perfect, even if they were old song lyrics. "And even if you are a smartass, I'm apparently grumpy, so I guess that makes us a perfect match." Everyone couldn't help but laughing at Bones' attempt to make a joke.

"I'm not going to recite lyrics. Not that I haven't been cheesy enough at any point in my life to do just that, I just wanna say what's in my heart." Taking a deep breath, he swallowed hard. "From the moment I met you on that transport out of Iowa, I knew you'd change my life in someway or another. I never knew it would be something like this, but I wouldn't change anything we've gone through to this point. It's all that we have been through that has gotten us where we are today."

He cleared his throat. "I've come close to losing you more times than I care to count, and I have lost you once. I don't like how I feel when I've had to go through all that, but still having you in my life, still having you with me has always been enough to make me want to be with you more than imagining a life where we're not together. I'm never going to give up on you, and I'm never going to let anything take you away from me. From this day on, you're my life and you always will be. I love you, Jim, more than anything."

Kirk swallowed. "I love you." He wanted to jump forward and kiss him already, but he refrained. Turning to Spock, he nodded his head to continue.

Lifting both of his hands, Spock places them on Kirk and McCoy's faces, opening the Vulcan bond between the three of them. "Our minds, one and together, touching, but not touching; apart, yet never apart." For a moment, there was silence. No one moved for a while, no one said anything until Spock nodded his head, pulling his hands from their faces. "You are now married. Live long and prosper, my friends."

There was no "You may kiss the bride," but being no bride, that was alright. That didn't mean they weren't going to kiss. Opening their eyes, Kirk and Bones turned to look at each other. Smiling brightly, Kirk wrapped his arms around Bones, pulling him flush against his body, pressing his lips to his. It wasn't hard nor soft, yielding nor demanding. Bones' lips met Kirk's with a feeling of nothing more than love and happiness as their friends applauded their union around them. They were married now and nothing and no one would ever come between that.

It was hours later when they finished celebrating with their friends. There had been dinner and dancing and the two of them hadn't let the other go the entire night. It was their wedding day. They weren't expected to keep a social distance. They had danced every dance. Kissed several times in front of their whole crew. Kirk had never known Bones to be more comfortable about the two of them in front of people, and he loved it.

It was more than half past 2300 hours by the time they got back to their quarters. Kirk stopped Bones just after the door whooshed open, turning to look at him.

"Well, aren't you going to carry me across the threshold?"

Bones could see the fire behind Jim's eyes and didn't mind playing his little game. "What if I want to be carried across the threshold?"

Kirk seemed to think about that only for a few minutes before dipping down and lifting Bones up into his arms. His slight protest almost made Kirk drop his husband in the process, but once Bones knew he wasn't going to let him down, he wrapped his arms around Jim's neck and looked into his eyes as they entered the bedroom.

"We really did this, didn't we?"

"Getting cold feet now, Mr. Kirk?" Kirk asked, laying Bones down on the bed and laying on the bed beside him.

Bones shook his head, letting his hand rest against Jim's neck. "Not in the slightest, Mr. McCoy."

"So," Kirk said, his mouth nuzzling at Bones' neck, "do you think it's time you were officially living here, like on the ship's manifest?"

Bones eyes were closed enjoying Jim's mouth at his clavicle and his hand trailing down his stomach. "Maybe a little overdue."

Kirk nodded slightly. "I'd say." His hand dipped down over the top of Bones' pants, pulling back to smirk at Bones. "Turned on that much already, baby?"

Bones opened his eyes, grunting out slightly. "Been mostly hard all day, Jim. What do you expect? Becoming your husband has been a huge turn on for me."

Kirk smiled, leaning forward and pressing his lips to Bones'. "I love you, Bones."

"I love you, Jim."


	27. Happy Birthday, Bones!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 27 - On one of their birthdays- Kirk surprises Bones with a day filled with fun.  
> \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kirk awoke early the next morning, determined to make Bones' birthday the best he'd ever had. They'd been married just a little over a few months and it had been the happiest time of their lives. Starfleet had heard of their relationship and wedding and issued a warning to both of them.

_As with every other relationship any member of Starfleet has with anyone, male or female, human or any other race, we would expect that your duties be held at highest importance. If any news of your relationship causes issues for your ship, the Federation, or any other entity, we will have you brought in for review. We hope success and happiness for you in your marriage and hope not to have the need to communicate any further on this issue._

Kirk had thought it a big joke, but Bones was more annoyed by it than anything. He loved Jim, but he didn't like people voicing their opinions on their relationship. He didn't even like it when Carol or Uhura said they were cute. He didn't want their relationship to be a part of anyone's conversation. He just wanted to be happily married to his husband without it being discussed like the new race they just encountered.

Kirk loved the attention. He always liked being the topic of everyone's conversation. He loved giving everyone something to talk about, whether it was his love for Bones or his shenanigans, he just liked the attention. He wasn't about to tell everyone to stop their tongues wagging unless Bones was around. He knew how Bones felt, and he didn't want to get that Irish temper flaring.

He'd been looking forward to Bones' birthday for quite a while now. Ever since people knew about them on the ship, he was looking forward to being able to celebrate with him openly. Usually, they had to celebrate in their quarters, hushed and away from everyone else. But today was going to be a big day. Kirk knew Bones didn't like big, elaborate events, but Kirk was all about making everything as big as it could possibly be.

He headed down to the dining room and made breakfast for the two of them, hoping what Bones was teaching him in the kitchen would pay off. Even if he wanted the biggest hullabaloo over things, he still wanted a few private moments with his husband today. Breakfast would be one of them. Coming back to the bedroom and laying the tray of food on the bedside table, he slid up on the bed and leaned in to brush his lips over Bones' face.

"Morning, husband."

Bones smiled. He may not be a sappy person, at least not all the time, but he did love how Jim loved him and showed his love for him. He wouldn't tell him not to for anything. He would never tell him to stop.

Opening his eyes slowly, he smiled up at Jim. "Morning, husband."

Kirk smiled down at his still sleepy husband trying to wake up. "Happy birthday, baby."

Bones shut his eyes automatically, scrunching up his face and burying it in the pillow. "I dn wn a bthd. Gn bck t slp," Bones muffled into the pillow.

Kirk smiled, starting to spread kisses over the side of Bones' naked back. "I made breakfast, baby."

Bones turned his head slightly, cocking one eye open. "You did?"

Kirk smiled warmly down at him. "I did. Wanna test my skills?"

Bones pushed himself up to sit, looking over at the food beside him and looking back at Jim. "As much as I don't like birthdays, I think this is already my favorite."

Kirk winced. "Oh, then you probably want me to cancel everything else I had planned for you today, huh?"

"You didn't..." The faint smile Bones had had on his face had completely disappeared.

"I kinda did," Kirk admitted.

Bones shook his head. "I should have known."

"So, you want me to cancel?"

Bones let the smile slowly return to curl up the sides of his mouth. "No. Whatever you have planned, I will happily accept. Thank you." Leaning closer to Jim, he brushed his lips across his. "I love you, Jim."

Kirk smiled, letting his hand run down Bones' chest before inhaling deeply and reaching for the tray of food and setting it on Bones' lap, settling beside him. "I hope I did alright. Didn't have you in the kitchen with me making sure I didn't screw it up."

"It smells delicious. I'm sure it's perfect."

"Wait till you taste it."

Bones picked up the fork and scooped up a bite of the scrambled eggs, hash browns and sausage, bringing the food to his mouth. Closing his eyes as the flavor seeped into the taste buds on his tongue, exploding there. It was so good. The right amount of seasonings, not overpowering but only adding to natural flavors. Bones was extremely proud of how quickly Jim had been learning. And here he had cooked an entire meal for two (even if he'd only brought one plate up for them to share) all by himself.

Opening his eyes, he nodded over at Jim. "It is perfect, Jim. It's incredible."

Kirk picked up his own fork and took a bite as well. He wasn't sure it was altogether as great as Bones thought it was, but it was really good. He was impressed with himself. He smiled over at Bones. "It is good."

"Told you!"

The two of them ate. Bones tried to ask more than once and in more than one way what Jim had planned for the day, but Kirk wasn't telling him anything. He had planned for them both to have the entire day off so they could spend the day without anything to worry about. Of course, Kirk would still report to the bridge if anything serious happened, but the rest of the medical staff could handle anything short of a catastrophe. The day was theirs and no one was going to keep them from having an amazing day with everything Kirk had planned.

/\ /\ /\ **To Be Continued...** /\ /\ /\


	28. Sweet Spot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 28 - Doing something ridiculous- Bones tries to hide from Jim, only to end up together in the ship's Sweet Spot!  
> ___________________________________________________________________________________

" _This is a ship-wide message. Dr. McCoy is public enemy number one, and it is the responsibility of everyone on the ship to apprehend him and bring him to the bridge."_

Jim's voice came over the ship's speakers and Bones rolled his eyes. He couldn't believe he was using the ship's communication system to play their little game. It was something he told Jim he used to do as a child, play hide and seek, but he didn't expect Jim to get the whole crew involved.

" _Whoever brings him in will be invited to join us for laser tag in rec room 5 after his birthday dinner. The hunt is on. Here we come, Bones!"_

It was a bit of a twist on the old-fashioned game, but it was fun nonetheless. Everyone on the ship was going to be looking for Bones, and he was supposed to see how long he could go without being found. Of course, they could spot him, but if they weren't able to grab him and bring him to the brig, then the game would go on. He would win if he could go until dinner time without being apprehended. Bones was determined to win. It was his birthday, after all. He was determined to win.

Bones knew the only place he could _really_ hide would be in the access tubes. The only people who climbed through them on any sort of regular basis were the engineers, considering how much they love to tinker, but even they weren't in them _every day_. After their run in with the Borg a few months back, Bones was sure no one would be going in them. Hell, he didn't even want to _really_ , but he was bound and determined to win this game.

Taking the closest access conduit, he started to climb up one of the diagonal figured if he was on deck 3 now, and he could climb up to say... deck 8, and as long as he didn't pass any _wandering_ engineer along the way, he would most definitely win this little game of _high stakes_ hide and seek.

Bones came into one of the junction points, stopping when he saw Jim drop down from one of the horizontal conduits. _Well,_ he thought to himself, _so much for winning. Of course Jim would find a way to win this._

"Ready to give up, Bones?"

Bones shook his head, seeing the fire behind Jim's eyes. He was in the mood to play. Usually, Bones didn't like playing, but hell, it was his birthday. He was gonna have fun, damnit.

"Catch me if you can!"

He grabbed onto the ladder and climbed up the vertical shaft above them. He smiled. Jim was hot on his heels. When he came to the top of this tube, he felt himself begin to float into the center of the junction. Looking around, he closed his eyes, shaking his head and cursing himself under his breath. Jim came up by him, laughing.

"Give up now?"

Bones laughed, reaching out for him. "Hell no! This is my birthday! I win!"

Bones brought his lips crashing down on Jim's, grabbing at his body and pulling him tight against him. Usually, this isn't something he would do, having sex in the middle of the ship, but the chances someone else was gonna be coming into the junction any time soon was slim to none. It was his birthday, and if he wanted this, he was sure Jim would give in. Besides, he was the adventurous one, not Bones. Of course he'd want to do this.

Kirk groaned against Bones' lips. "We really doing this?"

Bones nodded. He knew Jim would know exactly what he wanted. His dick was already growing hard in his pants and he was pushing it against Jim's body.

"Have any better ideas?" He smirked. "Give an old man his birthday wish."

"You know," Kirk shook his head. "You're not really that old."

"Just shut up and kiss me!"

Kirk's eyes widened. "Yes, sir!"

Kirk let Bones reach between the two of them and let him undo his pants. God, this was so fucking hot and Kirk could not believe Bones was even considering it. He wasn't going to hold back and let Bones back out.

Once their pants were off and floating around beside them, Bones had Kirk's dick in his hand, pumping it as he nibbled at his neck. "I want you inside me, Jim. God," his mouth moved up, his teeth nipping at Jim's ear, "I want to feel you inside me, Jim!"

Kirk loved it when Bones would tell him what he wanted, what he wanted him to do with him. Kirk was used to Bones fucking his ass, but occasionally, Bones wanted something different. Occasionally, Kirk wanted to be inside Bones as well, and this time, that's what they both wanted. It was Bones' birthday, he could have whatever he wanted, and Kirk wanted to give him whatever he wanted.

Turning him around, Kirk used natural lubricant of his saliva to get his cock wet enough, also adding some to Bones' puckered hole as well. Kirk took his cock in his hand, steadying Bones by holding onto him with the other hand on his hip, he let his cock slide right into Bones' ass.

Bones let his head back up, resting against Jim's shoulder. "My God, Jim! Oh, God!"

Kirk loved when Bones would yell out his name like this. He loved knowing that he could make his husband feel better than anyone in the world. It was a huge turn on. His ass muscles gripping at his cock was enough to send Kirk over the top before he wanted to. He loved being this close to Bones, even if the only opposite force to push their bodies together was Kirk's hands on Bones' hips, pulling him against his body with each and every thrust.

Before either of them knew it, they were both floating in ecstasy, Kirk held onto Bones from behind as his back came into contact with one of the walls and he couldn't help but laugh, making his cock lurch inside Bones' ass and Bones' ass muscles to around his cock. Kirk kissed the back of Bones' neck.

"Happy birthday, baby."


	29. Avenger Tower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 29 - Doing something sweet- Bones gives Jim a gift.  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scotty came up beside McCoy, laying a hand on his back after they'd finished Bones' birthday game of laser tag. Kirk had ended up inviting most of the senior officers. Even Spock came down to play. Bones turned to look at the engineer. He didn't like a whole lot of physical contact, but he knew how friendly this Earth's Scotsman was and it was his birthday, so he could let it go.

"Happy b'rthda, doctor!"

Bones nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Scott."

"Lissen," Scotty looked around, looking over his shoulder to where their captain was talking to Uhura and looked back to Bones. "I know i's yer b'rthda and all, but I finished that thin' you asked me to start workin' on."

Bones eyes widened and he turned to Scotty. "Scotty! That's wonderful!" He patted both of his shoulders. "That's the best birthday present anyone could have given me!" Jim was going to be excited beyond belief and that was going to be the best present Bones could ever get.

Scotty smiled, proud of himself and overjoyed he'd made Bones' day. "Yer welcome." He nodded. "I's ready to go when you'd like to go down der."

Bones patted the man's shoulders again. "Thank you, Mr. Scott!" He turned and made a beeline straight for Jim. "Excuse me, Uhura, I need to steal my husband."

Smiling, Uhura nodded her head. "Yeah. Happy Birthday again, Leonard."

Bones took Jim's hand, nodding to Uhura. "Thank you, Uhura."

Once out of the recreation room, Kirk looked over to his husband. "What's with the impromptu kidnapping? Wanna head back to the Sweet Spot?" He let his eyebrows wiggle above his eyes, causing Bones to shake his head, unable to curb it.

"No, something better."

Kirk's eyes widened drastically. "Better?!" He couldn't believe it. "What's better than Sweet Spot sex?"

"You'll see."

They stepped into the turbolift and gave it instructions to head toward deck 7. Kirk knew better than to ask questions because Bones was a vault. He NEVER gave in. Kirk could beg and beg, but Bones was a vault. What he didn't know was, Bones felt exactly the opposite. If there was anything Jim ever really wanted, Bones would give in for him before anything. There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for his husband.

The turbolift stopped and Bones pulled him down the corridor. "You're going to love this."

"Bones, did you get me a present? On your birthday!"

Bones shook his head. "I've been having Mr. Scott working on this for a while now. He just happened to get it done today."

Kirk narrowed his eyes on Bones. He had no idea what Bones would have asked Scotty's help on, and that made him even more excited to find out. Bones led him into rec room and Kirk immediately knew what Bones had done.

"Bones! You didn't!"

Bones smiled brightly for Jim. "I did. I know how much you loved this when we were on this the Enterprise D, I wanted to see if we could get it for you here."

Kirk looked at his husband, shaking his head. "It's amazing, Bones! It really is!" Clearing his throat, he took a deep breath. "Whatever happened to not looking into things from that time? Making the D crew cease to exist and all that."

Bones shook his head. "I did some looking around and I found out the technology exists already. Archer's Enterprise crew came into contact with a race called the... the Xyrillian. I just had Scotty do some research and modify this rec room just for you."

Kirk lifted his hand, wrapping his hand around the back of Bones' neck, pulling him in to kiss him. "You're amazing, Bones!"

"Wait till you see what I've already got programmed into it," Bones offered, turning with Jim to the computer panel. He pressed a few keys and the room instantly transformed beside them.

Kirk turned, recognizing the scene immediately, his face lighting up. "That's Avenger Tower!"

Bones smiled brightly, proud of himself for what he'd done. Yes, Scott had done all the work, but he was giving this to Jim and Jim loved it. He could tell.

"This is from Avengers 2. You said you watched it?"

Kirk nodded his head, turning quickly back to Bones. "Can we _not_ play with Pepper though?" She wasn't in the movie that much, but the two of them didn't like her with Tony because Tony was _supposed_ to be with Steve and they knew it.

Bones laughed, nodding. "I have other plans."

Kirk smirked, arching his eyebrow. "Oh, do you?"

Bones nodded again, typing a few things into the program and it started around them. "You're Steve and you just got back from D.C. where you and Natasha found Bucky. I'll be looking over the blueprints. You can come in and let me know you're back."

"Wait, no Sharon, right? Agent 13."

Bones shook his head. "No. She's not in our story."

Kirk smirked again. "Damn strait! Ok, go!" He swatted Bones ass and stood, watching him walk into the holodeck.

Bones couldn't help but laugh and turned his head to look back at Jim who was walking over to the elevator. This was going to be a lot of fun. It was too bad they hadn't had this when Jim had first wanted to play Avengers. Maybe they'd have to invite the others to come play with them sometime. But this time, it was just Jim and him.

"Jarvis," Bones spoke into the computer system. "Bring up Iron Man 2.0 markup."

" _Yes, sir,"_ the computer voice from the movies filled the room.

The image appeared in front of Bones and he lifted his fingers to flip the image around. He was impressed when it actually did. Scotty had done exceptionally well. He'd have to thank the engineer again later.

"Stark."

Bones turned to see Jim standing beside him. "Rogers." He went back to his blueprints. "Your friend adjusting to the 21st Century alright?"

"Yes. Thank you for letting him have a place to stay here."

Bones flashed him a quick smile. "Not a problem."

"But it does mean a lot... to me."

Bones turned to look at Jim. "Oh? What does it mean to you?"

Kirk stepped closer to Bones. "It means _a lot_."

"That's articulate."

Kirk closed the distance between the two of them. "I'd like to show you."

Bones did his best to stifle a groan, but he figured that was exactly what Tony would do and a little of it slipped out. Jim's lips crashed against Bones' as his hand grabbed the back of Bones' head, pulling his body tightly against his. He lifted him up onto the table and spread his legs so he could stand between them.

"Rogers, what are you-"

"Steve, Tony. It's Steve. You think if we're about to-" Kirk smirked wickedly- " _fondue_ , the least you can do is call me Steve."

Bones cleared his throat. Damnit, that was fucking hot. "Yes, Steve."

Kirk brought his lips back to Bones, kissing him even deeper, his hands moving feverishly over Bones' body. If there was one thing Kirk loved, it was role playing, and he was really going to get into this one. They were going to let their couple _finally_ be together, and it was going to be hot!

/\ /\ /\ **_To Be Continued..._ ** /\ /\ /\

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one more day to go. I'm soooo sad! But don't worry, the series will continue!


	30. Fondue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 30 - Doing something hot- Kirk and Bones have Stony sex.  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kirk lifted Bones up onto the table and spread his legs so he could stand between them.

"Rogers, what are you-"

"Steve, Tony. It's Steve. You think if we're about to-" Kirk smirked wickedly- " _fondue_ , the least you can do is call me Steve."

Bones cleared his throat. Damnit, that was fucking hot. "Yes, Steve."

Kirk brought his lips back to Bones, kissing him even deeper, his hands moving feverishly over Bones' body. If there was one thing Kirk loved, it was role playing, and he was really going to get into this one.

Kirk's mouth trailed from Bones', down over his jaw and to his neck. Bones groaned, a soft breath of air escaping his lips.

"Steve..."

"Yes, Tony..." Kirk started to nibble at Bones' neck, pushing his pelvis into Bones' crotch.

"Do you know how long I've wanted this?"

Kirk bit at Bones' skin. "As long as I have?"

"Longer..." Tony groaned out.

Bones knew that Tony had wanted Steve from the time he had fallen in love with him even as a child, well, whenever he started having sexual thoughts. But even before that, he had still been in love with the man. Though, Bones also knew Tony wouldn't admit to how he felt right then. He couldn't open up his heart like that, not yet at least. He knew Pepper had changed him, made him able to share his feelings a little more easily, but he couldn't open his heart up to Steve just yet, even if the man had owned it for longer than the man had even really known the other man.

"I want you, Tony. I want to make love to you."

Bones inhaled deeply. Jim was really good at this roleplaying stuff. _Make love_ was something Steve would say, coming from the 1940s. Jim was a whole lot more vulgar and to the point. Steve was a boy scout.

"I'm all yours, Steve. Do whatever you want with me!"

Kirk didn't need to be told twice. Pulling at Bones' pants, he stripped him from the waist down and pushed him down on the table. His cock was throbbing in his pants and he had to be inside Bones sooner than now. Using his spit like he had earlier in the sweet spot, he lubed up his cock and Bones' ass again before sliding into one of his favorite places in the world.

Bones groaned out, pushing his ass onto Kirk's cock more, groaning out in extreme pleasure. "Oh, fuck, yes!"

Bones audible show of pleasure pushed Kirk harder, driving inside Bones deeper. "You're so tight! Sweet Lord, you're so tight!"

Jim was hitting Bones' prostate just right with every thrust. And if that wasn't enough, he had his hand wrapped around his dick, stroking it as he pushed harder into Bones' ass. His other hand steadied himself by grabbing onto Bones' hip. Bones knew he would never love being with someone as much as he loved being with his husband. He was sure, even when they were eighty, they'd still be going like this. Alright, so maybe not with as much vigor, but hell if they'd risk breaking a hip for it.

Bones felt his balls tighten up and Kirk started to stroke him faster. His ass muscles tightened around Jim's cock as his release erupted from his pulsing dick. "Oh, FUCK!" he grunted out, gripping hard at the edge of the table beneath him.

Bones' release was enough for Kirk to be pushed over the top as well. He released deep into Bones' ass with a loud, guttural growl, hissing out, "YESSSS!"

He ended up collapsing down on top of Bones, breathing deeply. Bones smiled, wrapping his arms around his husband. He let his hands spread over Jim's back, holding him there against him. He could still feel his cock throbbing inside of his ass and was enjoying every ticking second of it.

He may not have enjoyed the holodeck that much when they had been on the Enterprise D, but he knew he and Jim would get a lot of use out of this one. He was actually looking forward to it. He was sure they could each come up with scenarios, both sexual and no,t pretty easily. He was glad he had asked Scotty to build this for Jim. Again he thought to thank the Scot for his amazing work.

He wrapped his arms more around Kirk and pulled him as close as he could. "Did you enjoy your gift?"

Kirk smirked against Bones' chest. "I'm not so sure I'm done using it yet." Sure, it was getting late, but that didn't mean that they couldn't spend more time in here.

"I had Mr. Scott program everything Avengers into this and then some. We have plenty of things to do for several years to come."

Kirk smiled, lifting his head up and looking down into his husband's eyes. "Thank you, Bones. It's the best thing you could have ever given me." He smirked. "Now we just need to figure out the replicator."

Bones shook his head. "Let's leave some things to the people who are supposed to invent these things."

Kirk chuckled slightly. "Killjoy."

Bones snickered. "Well..."

The two of them laughed, and Kirk slipped out of Bones' ass, pulling himself to curl up next to his husband.

"I love you, Bones. Forever."

"I love you, Jim. Forever"

It was cheesy, but neither of them cared. Neither of them minded being kings of sap. They were happy and in love and nothing else mattered. Nothing else ever would matter. Even if along the line something happened to threaten their bond, they would remain strong and hold onto each other because they were stronger together than apart, and they knew it. They would never give up on the other and never bow down to anyone else either.

They had been through so much in the past few years since embarking on their 5 year mission, and they knew they still had the unknown to look forward to. It was something they'd face head on, boldly!

/\ /\ /\ ** _TO BOLDLY GO WHERE NO ONE HAS GONE BEFORE_ ** /\ /\ /\

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There it is! McKirk 30-Day OTP challenge completed! It's so very sad, but I feel accomplished. Prior to starting this, I was sure I could and would never do this. But thanks to TheLadyJ I did! I'm glad I did! You're awesome, boo bear! 
> 
> I'm not sure if I will continue on with McKirk's story in this series yet, but there will be a Scotty/Checkov side story and also one for Spock/Uhura. I hope you'll continue to watch for future installments in this series! Thank you so much for reading!


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